Five-day anti-polio campaign begins in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

PESHAWAR: A special five-day anti-polio vaccination campaign has begun in eleven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from today.

The district where a campaign has been launched includes Torghar, Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan, Kolai Palas, Shangla, Battagram, Abbottabad, Mansehra, Haripur, Charsadda and Mohmand Agency.

More than one million children below the age of five will be administered anti-polio drops as part of a campaign.

Read more:Polio cases caused by oral vaccine: reports

The government has devised an overall plan for the security of the polio teams.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has always expressed serious concern over the recent spike in polio cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of Pakistan.

According to Imran Khan, the eradication of polio is the top-most priority of the government as it affects the future generation.

Also read: IMB declares a horrible year for Pakistan in eradicating polio

As per the World Health Organization, overall 63 polio cases were reported in 2019 out of which 46 were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 5 from Punjab, 5 from Balochistan and 7 from Sindh.

Pakistan is one of only three countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan and Nigeria, affected by poliovirus. Nigeria has already marked three years with no new cases and can soon be certified polio-free.