About 3.7 million children below the age of five years will be vaccinated during a three-day polio eradication campaign in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The drive was formally inaugurated by women Senator Farhat Abbas on Saturday during a ceremony held at Peshawar Press Club under auspices of Provincial Expanded Immunisation Programme (EPI) in collaboration with KP health Department, Unicef, Who and other donors agencies.
The drive will be carried out from March 12th to 14th in the 17 districts, including Bannu, Bunner, Charsadda, D.I.Khan, Dir Upper, Hangu, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar, Swabi, Swat (Mingora), Tank, Haripur, Karak, and Afghan refugees areas.
On the occasion, Dr Janbaz Afridi, Deputy Director EPI Programme KP, President Peshawar Press Club, Saiful Islam Saifi, EPI, Health and Nutrition expert, Dr Jamil, and representatives of Who organisation and health experts were present. Dr Janbaz giving details about the upcoming drive against eradication in KP, he informed that a total of four cases had been reported in KP during this year, including one case each in district Peshawar, Kohat, D.I. Khan, and Lakki Marwat.
He further added that more than 10,799 teams have been constituted including areas in-charge, mobile, transit, and fixed teams under a supervisor. Unfortunately, he said the Pakistan is amongst three countries fighting against the crippling disease of Polio, saying that the number of polio hit states had been declined from four to three after getting rid India from the menace last month.
He said the polio is more prevalent in tribal areas with growing number of cases where teams are facing enormous challenges to carry out campaign in the turbulent situation. Dr Afridi urged the parents to get their children immunise during the three day drive against polio to save them from life time disability. Dr Jamil Health and Nutrition expert said that there was needed to access to those children were missed in last polio campaign in order to achieve 100 percent immunisation target during the anti-polio drive.
Saiful Islam said that media role is vital for creation of awareness about polio and other fatal diseases. He assured that media would continue its support and co-operation to eradicate polio from the province.
Senator Farhat Abbas said that the government is committed to eradicate all fatal and crippling diseases from the country. She said that it was encouraging sign that the number of polio cases had been declined after successful carrying out National Polio Immunisation Programme. She expressed the hope that the Pakistan will get rid from the crippling disease of polio by end of this year. Later, she administered two polio drops to kids to formally launch drive in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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