Staff Reporter
Peshawar
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Wednesday launched anti-polio immunization campaign in the province. According to details, a polio vaccination campaign will be carried out in 21 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Overall 4.6 million children would be administered polio drops during the five days campaign, while 19 polio teams have been formed for the vaccination campaign. Strict coronavirus SOPs would be followed during the anti-polio campaign as workers have been provided with adequate training for the purpose
On the occasion, KP chief minister said that overall 4.6 children would be administered polio drops during the five-days polio campaign in 21 districts of the province. “KP government is fully committed to eradicating poliovirus from the province and all available resources are being used for this purpose,” he added. On August 11, it was reported that the Federal government had decided to launch anti-polio immunization campaign in the country ahead of the month of Muharram from August 13 over security reasons.
According to sources in the federal health ministry, the campaign would be launched in 130 districts of the country including parts of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Overall 34.4 million children would be administered polio drops during the campaign, they said adding 225,000 polio workers will take part in the drive.
The polio immunization drive would be launched in Punjab and Sindh province on August 15, covering 9.26 million children in 41 districts of Sindh and 17.86 million children in 33 districts of the Punjab province. The anti-polio campaign will begin on 17 August in Balochistan and AJK, covering 2.1 million children in 25 districts of the former area.
Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan on Wednesday formally kicked off anti-polio campaign by administering anti-polio drops to a child here at Chief Minister House Peshawar. During the campaign, a total of 4.56 million children will be administered anti polio drops in 21 highly sensitive districts of province. KP Minister for Health Taimur Saleem Jhagra, Secretary Health Syed Imtiaz Hussain Shah, D.G Health Services Dr. Niaz Muahammad, Coordinator Emergency Operation Center, Abdul Basit, representative of W.H.O and other relevant officials were present on the occasion.
The Chief Minister said that government had decided to resume anti polio campaigns, after four months of discontinuation due to COVID-19, under specific Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). The chief minister stated that eradication of polio from province was on the top of government agenda and concrete step were being taken in this regard adding that, all available resources would be utilized to prevent upcoming generations from physical disability. It was told that, some 19087 teams of trained polio workers had been constituted which included 17859 mobile teams and 1237 fixed teams to participate in anti polio drive for August. For improving the quality of polio campaigns and to overcome logistics and operational challenges 4909 area incharge have been posted.
