World Health Organization (WHO) said that almost 2 million children across Sindh will be affected by polio after the Sindh government decided to postpone polio vaccination campaign across the province due to the heavy rainfall which can affect millions across the province. According to the WHO sources, the polio campaign which had to commence on Monday in the province, had been postponed by the provincial government. In 2010, the campaign was also postponed across Sindh due to the floods which affected a large part of the province. The decision had raised concerns regarding the increase of polio cases in Sindh as the rainy season helped the polio virus to spread rapidly. “Except Gaddap and Sohrab Goth, the campaign would continue in Karachi,” the sources said, while adding that four districts of Punjab were also affected due to flooding.
Polio immunization campaign kicks off: Three days long Polio Eradication Campaign began on Monday amidst rainfalls in all four talukas (towns) of Hyderabad district. The District Health Officer (DHO) Hyderabad Dr. Bakhsh Ali Pitafi said that during the campaign, 2,85,665 children of under five years of age are being vaccinated in City, Latifabad, Qasimabad and Hyderabad Rural Talukas of the district. A total of 704 mobile vaccination teams would carry out door to door immunization while anti-polio drops are also being administered to the children of under age five in 88 fixed vaccination centers and 37 transit points of the district, he informed. Seven Taluka Supervisors and 169 Area incharges are supervising the vaccination campaign and their activities are being monitored by the representatives of WHO and UNICEF as well as the officers of Sindh Health Department.
