K-P chief secretary renews polio push

PESHAWAR:

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Shahab Ali Shah on Friday chaired a meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Polio Eradication in Peshawar to review the situation in Dera Ismail Khan and Bannu divisions and assess preparations for upcoming vaccination campaigns.

The meeting discussed arrangements for the second phase of the Sub-National Immunization Campaign, scheduled to begin on September 15 in seven districts of Bannu and DI Khan divisions, as well as selected areas of Bajaur and Kurram.

Highlighting the seriousness of the situation, the chief secretary noted that 16 polio cases had been reported in K-P this year, 14 of them from southern districts. "We cannot leave our children at the mercy of this crippling virus. Eradicating polio is the government's top priority because it brings lifelong suffering not only to families but also to society as a whole," he said.