A week-long anti-polio drive will begin in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) from today (Monday). Over 4.6 million children below the age of five years would be vaccinated during the upcoming anti-polio drive in Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Mardan, Bunner. Swat, Shangla Torghar, Haripur, Manshera, Kohistan, Battagram, Khyber, Bajuar, Mohmand, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Hangu, Karak, Tank, DI Khan, Kurram, Orakzai, North and South Waziristan districts.
A total of 16,800 trained health workers, including 13,884 mobile teams, 1,222 fixed, 792 transit and 902 roaming teams have been constituted for the upcoming anti-polio campaign in the province. He said that a comprehensive security plan has been devised for protection of polio workers and teams during the drive.
Sharing details regarding the campaign, Field Surveillance Medical Officer (FSMO) of Khyber district, Dr Usman said that the current drive had been taking place throughout Khyber district except some villages in Tirah Valley where residents were still Internally Displace Persons (IDPs).
The health official said that for the purpose 913 teams had been comprised that would execute its duties as mobile, transit and fixed teams. He further added that 260 supervisors had been appointed to direct the door to door campaign and to administer polio drops to 213,000 children below the age of five.
According to the police department tight security measures had been adopted and the polio teams had been provided full-proof security in addition with assistance of forces personnel where needed. Dr Usman urged the residents not to give importance to propaganda against the polio campaign as it was tested and safe vaccine and utilised all over the world for eliminating of the crippling disease.
As per health department 53 polio cases have been unearthed throughout the country, comprising Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 41, Punjab 05, Baluchistan 04 and Sindh 03. Bannu is the most effected district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa because so far 21 polio cases have been detected there.
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