MIRPUR (AJK): Like rest of the country, all is set to launch the 05-day integrated nationwide anti-polio campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir from Monday – January 16 to January 20.
More than 7.10 lakh children of under 5 years of age would be administered the anti-polio vaccine during the campaign, the State Health authorities told APP here on Sunday.
Only in AJK’s metropolis - Muzaffarabad, over 120,000 children up to five years of age would be administered anti-polio vaccines during the drive.
At least 3859 mobile teams of para-medical staff have been constituted to visit door-to-door to administer the anti-polio vaccine and Vitamin A-drops across AJK – where 432 fixed centers have also been set up by the State Polio Eradication Committee of the AJK State Health Services Department with the coordination of the World Health Organization (WHO).
The total staff to be involved in the drive include mobile teams comprising over 5000 workers for visiting door-to-door to immunize the children of and under 5 years of age during the campaign throughout AJK.
The fixed centers have been set up at state-run hospitals, basic health units, rural health centers as well as various other spots to vaccinate the children.
A total of 156 transit points have also been set up for the drive under the supervision of the concerned area in charges, the sources said.
The state health department’s Polio Eradication wing had made adequate arrangements to execute the polio eradication campaign in a befitting manner, the sources asserted that a total of 844 area in charges will supervise the drive at union council’s level across AJK in 35 tehsils and besides a total of 245 Union Council throughout AJK State.
A control room has also been set up at the office of the Provincial Program Manager EPI in Muzaffarabad to monitor the drive beside it will receive any complaint by official phone No. 05822-920791.
In Mirpur, at least 72422 children under 5 years of age will be administered the anti-polio vaccine. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr. Fida Hussain told APP that in Mirpur district 400 mobile teams of paramedics in all 28 zones will visit door-to-door besides serving at the 41 fixed centers and the 14 transit points to administer anti-polio vaccines.
Dr Fida urged the parents to fully cooperate with mobile teams of paramedics by getting their children vaccinated.
It may be added that the state health authorities claimed that there had been no case of polio disease to any child detected in any part of AJK over the last 23 years.