Bajaur, khyber agencies: Three-day polio campaign begins

PESHAWAR: A three day anti-polio campaign started on Monday in Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber agencies as well as the Frontier Regions of Kohat, Lakki, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. The campaign will not be carried out in Kurram and Orakzai agencies because of the Chehlum of Imam Hussain (RA) and the drive will be conducted after 10 days. Vaccination teams will not inoculate children in FR Peshawar due to the killing of 21 levies forces. An official of Expanded Programme on Immunisation, FATA Secretariat said on the condition of anonymity that they may not send vaccination teams to Tirah valley, Khyber Agency because of the attack. The campaign will also not be conducted in North and South Waziristan agencies due to the ban imposed on the entry of teams by Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mullah Nazir in June 2012. Polio teams successfully executed the campaign in Tirah valley in September this year and vaccinated around 33,000 children against polio and other diseases after a gap of three years. Fata registered 20 polio cases in the year

2012.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2013.rough