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| 27 polio cases reported in NWFP in 2009 |
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Sunday, November 15, 2009
Bureau report
PESHAWAR: Making the deteriorating law and order situation in parts of NWFP and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) responsible for rise in polio cases, an official of the provincial health department Saturday vowed to focus on these areas in the upcoming anti-polio drives.
Forty-five new polio cases were reported in various districts of the NWFP and Fata in the current year. The health department has launched a three- day anti-polio campaign starting from tomorrow (Monday).
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the campaign here at a local hotel, Dr Fazal Qayyum, director health services, NWFP, said that the rise in polio cases was a serious matter and the department was keenly assessing the situation. He added that to address the challenge, routine immunisation programme would be strengthened in the areas where military operation was in progress.
Dr Rafique, UNICEF acting chief for NWFP, informed the audience about the overall situation of polio in the province. He said that in current year, 27 cases were reported in NWFP and 18 in Fata, adding that out of 27 polio cases 20 were reported in Swat district, three in Charsadda, two in Upper Dir and one each in Kohistan and Shangla districts.
Similarly, he said out of 18 polio cases in Fata, 14 were reported in Bajaur, three in Mohmand and one in North Waziristan.
About the polio cases in Pakistan, he said, 78 polio cases were reported in 2009 among which the NWFP was on top with 27 cases, while 18 were reported in Fata, 15 in Punjab, 11 in Sindh and seven in Balochistan province.
Dr Sarfaraz Afridi, NWFP’s acting chief World Health Organisation (WHO), said Swat and Bajaur were free from polio that few years back, but due to military operations and Taliban’s activities majority of children in these areas could not be vaccinated against the disease.
He said that the polio vaccines refusal ratio has decreased to 0.6 percent as the health department had overcome the hurdle in Swat, Bajaur and Mohmand agencies.
He, however, said polio campaign would not be launched in Bara tehsil and Tirah valley in Khyber, Mamond and Pindyali.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
