Three day anti-polio drive planned for Peshawar high-risk UCs

PESHAWAR: A three-day special anti-polio campaign has been planned in the selected high risk union councils of Peshawar, Kohat and Hangu, including 32 Afghan camps by Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from January 31.

This was decided in a meeting held here at the EOC KP with Coordinator EOC Atif Rehman in the chair.

Team Leader UNICEF Dr Johar, WHO Team Leader Dr Abdi Nasir, Team Leader N Stop Dr Ejaz Ali Shah and other relevant staff were present.

EOC Coordinator Atif Rehman said the special campaign was decided after the detection of polio virus in the environmental samples collected from Peshawar and Kohat.

Stressing the need for holding the special anti-polio drive, he said that it was the fourth consecutive time that environmental sample of Peshawar was reported positive while for the first time environmental sample of Kohat was also positive showing circulation of virus in the districts.

Atif Rehman said that Peshawar remained polio-free for the last two years while only one case has been reported from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which shows a marked decline in the number of polio cases.

“We need to sustain the successes achieved so far in the war against polio and cannot afford complacency,” he added.

The EOC coordinator held an appeal to the parents and cross segments of society to support the government in reaching the finish line by the year end and vaccinate their children in every round of campaign when teams visit their house

Earlier, he was briefed that special anti-polio campaign will start from 31 January till February 2 during which 3.24 million children will be administered polio drops in 28 union councils of Peshawar, 11 UCs of Kohat and 8 UCs of district Hangu.