Anti-polio campaign to start on October 2

A seven-day polio eradication campaign will kick off in Karachi on October 2 and runt till October 8. Karachi Commissioner Muhammad Salim Rajput held a meeting on Monday to assess the arrangements for the campaign. It was attended by Auditor General of Sindh for Expanded Programme on Immunization Arshad Sodhar, all deputy commissioners, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s representatives Dr Erin Stuckey and Dr Arshad Qadus.

The meeting decided to reach and administer polio drops to children who have been missed or resisted during previous campaigns. Polio drops would be given to children under five years of age and vitamin A would be provided to children aged between six months to five years.

Over 11,000 polio teams will operate during the campaign, targeting more than 2.6 million children. Around 3,000 personnel will provide security to the teams. The meeting also reviewed environmental assessments related to the poliovirus. It was informed about the discovery of the virus in sewage water in Gadap and Keamari areas of the city. It explored suggestions to address the challenges encountered in administering drops to resistant children. District health officers briefed the participants on the training provided to the teams.