QUETTA: A three-day monthly polio campaign would begin in Balochistan on Monday amid tight security, said Coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre Dr Syed Saifur Rehman.
During the vaccination drive, over 2.472 million children up to five years of age would be vaccinated in 30 of the 32 districts of the province, he said. Around 600 teams comprising health workers and other staff will carry out in the campaign. The vaccination will take place at 796 fixed sites and 321 transit points.
Over 55,000 children of Afghan refugees would be administered drops in 88 refugee camps, Mr Rehman told a press conference here on Sunday.
He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan were the only two countries where polio virus was still posing a threat to children. In Pakistan, 52 polio cases were reported in 2015, seven of them from Balochistan.
Mr Rehman said that the provincial government would continue efforts to control the crippling disease till its virus was eliminated from Balochistan.
About future plans, he said that injectable polio vaccine (IPV) would replace oral drops in February.
Three-day polio eradication campaign begins today
Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri recently presided over a meeting of the committee that oversees polio campaigns. Coordination meetings have also been held with commanders of army’s southern command and Frontier Corps to ensure security for polio teams.
“We will not compromise on protection of polio teams,” Mr Rehman said, adding that security arrangements for this month’s campaign had been completed. Security personnel will escort every health team.
Describing recent history of polio drive, he said that nine successful campaigns had been conducted in the province from September to December.
Referring to parents’ refusal to allow vaccination of their children, he said: “We have managed to cover 90 per cent of the refusal cases.” He said that people from different walks of life were involved in the campaign to make it successful.
The number of polio workers has been increased to make the drive more effective.
Polio workers in Balochistan have been praised at the world level for their devotion and tireless efforts.
Ms Freeda, a health worker from the province, has recently been presented a Heroes of Polio Eradication and Hope’s Achievement Award by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
Ms Freeda has been supporting polio campaigns for more than 15 years. She was injured in an attack during a vaccination drive, in which a loved one was killed.
Last year was a relatively peaceful year for polio workers in Balochistan as it witnessed a sharp decline in attacks on them.
“In the past, polio workers faced long delays in receipt of their wages but that problem has now been solved,” Mr Rehman claimed. “The workers are now being paid salary on time.”
Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2016