Arrangements finalised for anti-polio drive

PESHAWAR: Health Minister Syed Qasim Ali Shah on Friday inaugurated the polio eradication campaign by administering polio drops to a child at the Police Services Hospital here on Friday.

Special Secretary Health/ Coordinator EOC KP, Abdul Basit, UNICEF Programme Manager, KP, Dr. Wisam Hazem, Presented-Elect PPA KP Dr. Syed Bawar shah, Team Lead NSTOP, Technical Focal person PEI, Communication officer UNICEF and EOC officials attended the meeting.

Talking to the media, the minister said that all paediatricians, religious and political leaders and other relevant quarters were being taken onboard to make the campaign a success. “All arrangements for five-day Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) campaign have been finalised in selected districts of the province in two phases from April 29 wherein more than 4.42 million children under the age of five will be administered with polio drops,” he added.

During the first phase of this campaign, which will be carried out from April 29 to May 3, polio drops will be administered to approximately 2.83 million children in 13 districts of the province including Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, Kurram, Khyber, Bajaur, Upper Dir, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Tank, North Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan and upper South Waziristan Upper. Also, over 78,198 children will be vaccinated in specific union councils on Pak-Afghan border and Afghan Refugee Camps situated in Nowshera, Swabi, Buner, Malakand, Chitral Upper, Haripur, Mansehra and Mohmand districts. During the second phase of the campaign, commencing from May 2, polio drops will be administered to around 1.51 million children in District D.I Khan, Charsadda, Mardan, Chitral Lower and Lower Dir” Minister Health Added.

The minister said that 21,038 teams of trained polio workers, including 18,926 mobile teams, 1,092 fixed, 920 transit teams and 100 roaming teams, have been formed to administer polio drops to the children.

The minister said that 3,969 area in-charges have also been appointed for the vigilant supervision of these teams to make sure that all children in the target areas are administered with polio vaccines. In order to ensure foolproof security of the polio teams during this campaign, 32,700 security personnel have been deployed in the target areas.