Calling the shots: Drive under way in 20 districts to immunise 2.7 million children

Partial campaigns being carried out in sensitive districts where risk of attacks is higher.


Mureeb Mohmand/umer Farooq February 02, 2015
More than 10,000 immunisation teams have been formed to administer the oral vaccine to nearly 2.7 million children; 9,187 mobile teams, 710 fixed and 280 transit teams. These teams will work under 1,996 area in charges. PHOTO: AFP

SHABQADAR/ PESHAWAR: With the aim to vaccinate 2.7 million children under the age of five, a polio immunisation drive is under way in 20 districts of the province.

According to health officials, a complete vaccinate drive is being held in Nowshera, Mardan, Lakki Marwat, Hangu, DI Khan, Tank, Bannu and Charsadda, while partial drives are going on in Abbottabad, Buner, Chitral, Lower Dir, Haripur, Karak, Kohat, Kohistan, Malakand, Mansehra, Swabi and Torghar.

More than 10,000 immunisation teams have been formed to administer the oral vaccine to nearly 2.7 million children; 9,187 mobile teams, 710 fixed and 280 transit teams. These teams will work under 1,996 area in charges.

Speaking about the drive, a health official said partial campaigns are being carried out in sensitive districts where the risk of militant attacks on polio workers is higher.

“Since we don’t want to risk the lives of polio workers, we will cover some areas during the ongoing campaign, while the remaining areas will be covered at another time,” said the official, requesting anonymity.

The provincial capital has already been covered; on Sunday, vaccinators went door to door in 97 union councils of Peshawar to inoculate more than 0.75 million children.

Charsadda

Heavy contingents of police were deployed in sensitive areas of the district on Monday as polio workers escorted by security personnel vaccinated children.

Polio teams focused on Shabqadar tehsil in the first phase of the drive. According to a district health official, the campaign aims to vaccinate 247,000 children.

Section 144 has already been imposed by the district administration on motorbike riding.

The security risk is high in Charsadda as there have been numerous incidents of attacks on polio workers in the past. According to a police official, around 1,400 policemen have been deployed in various areas of the district to guard 1,200 polio teams.

Unsung heroes

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a Charsadda policeman escorting polio workers, Bakht Ali, said he was proud to play his part in contributing towards a national cause. Ali said he is willing to risk his life for the future of the coming generations.

However, not every worker on the street is as confident as Ali. Saeeda, a polio worker, said her husband is a daily wage earner and she is left with no option but to sign up for the campaign in order to make ends meet.

Saeeda is well aware of the security threat but her impoverished family’s condition gives her the motivation. She administers drops to children inside houses during the door-to-door campaign while her male colleagues and security officials wait outside.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 3rd, 2015. 

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