ISLAMABAD: A five-day anti-polio campaign is underway across the country from Monday (today) after the emergence of three cases this year.
During the campaign, approximately 43.3 million children under the age of five years will be administered anti-polio vaccine. A supplementary dose of Vitamin A drops will also be administered to children aged 6 to 59 months.
Around 340,000 frontline workers will take part in the campaign to administer vaccine to the children at their doorsteps.
Earlier, inaugurating the campaign, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had assured that the government would take all measures to eradicate this crippling disease from the country.
He directed the federal and provincial governments and district management to address the challenge of persistently missed children, refusals and fake finger marking during the campaign.
Chairing a meeting of the National Task Force on Polio Eradication last week, the prime minister recent polio cases and stressed the joint efforts of all stakeholders including federal agencies, provincial governments, and international agencies.
The prime minister said the challenge of polio still existed and emphasized the need for all to work together to eradicate it. He assured the provinces every possible help and cooperation from the federal government.
He expressed gratitude that the government of Pakistan was grateful to international organizations, including World Health Organization, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and others for providing technical and financial support for the anti-polio campaign.
The meeting was informed that in April and May this year, three polio cases were reported from North Waziristan. No polio cases were reported for fourteen months during February 2021 to March 2022.
It was highlighted that at present, 25 districts of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were at high risk for the spread of polio virus. The prime minister had urged that all provincial governments should pay full attention to anti-polio campaign.
He called the urgent need for all stakeholders to work together with new vigor and enthusiasm to eradicate the polio virus. He hoped that collaboration with international partners would continue so as to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the country.
