The provinces have been asked to effectively run awareness campaigns to educate parents to administer anti-polio drops to their children during every national drive.
According to an official of Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), district health managers have been directed to properly manage the immunization drives following the set strategy.
He said they have been asked to ensure 100 percent coverage during the national anti-polio drives to vaccinate all children to protect them from the crippling disease.
He added such directives have been issued after receiving complaints from the citizens that district health teams mostly miss the children during the anti-polio drives.
He said due to law and order situation, health teams could not continue anti-polio drive in Swat that resulted increase in polio cases in the area.
He, however, said that now after improving the situation polio drops were administered to children in Swat in the recent polio eradication drives.
He added that the government has planned to immunise maximum number of children in Swat during every polio eradication drive.
Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Dr Wasim Khawaja said polio was a highly infectious viral disease, which mainly affected young children. The virus is transmitted through contaminated food and water, and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system, he added.
He said initial symptoms of polio included fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck, and pain in the limbs.
In a small proportion of cases, the disease causes paralysis, which is often permanent, he added.
