Anti-polio drive to commence again after setbacks

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PESHAWAR: A special three-day anti-polio campaign in 21 districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after reporting of the two new cases will be commencing from Monday.

During the campaign a total of 4745,748 children below the age of five years will be vaccinated with oral polio vaccine by 16,532 qualified teams, comprising 14,377 mobile teams, 1,230 fixed teams, and 802 transit teams and 123 roaming teams.

The campaign will kick off from Monday in 21 districts including some of the merger districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) comprising Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Malakand, Lower Dir, Kohat, Karak, Bannu, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, Bajaur, Khyber, Khurram, Mohmand, Orakzai, South Waziristan and North Waziristan.

Moreover, a five-day polio drive would also commence in three tehsils of the Rawalpindi district including the cantonments areas from February 18 to 25 as the environmental water samples tested positive for poliovirus for last eight months consecutively.

District Health Authority Anti-polio drive Incharge Muhammad Hussain said around 2000 polio teams including 1500 mobile teams, 217 fixed points, 90 transit points, 187 Union council medical officers and 400 area in charges would administer polio drops to above 740,000 children less than five years of age in Tehsil Rawalpindi, Taxila, Gujar Khan, Rawalpindi city and Rawalpindi/ Chaklala cantonments boards area.

“The parents should cooperate with the special teams so that the set target could be achieved.” He said while asserting continuous efforts were being made to control polio.

Special teams have also been formed to cover areas from where complaints about unattended children have been registered, he said.