'3.31 million children to be administered polio drops'

About 3.31 million children below the age of five would be targeted during the three-day anti-polio drive in eight high-risk districts of Khyber Pakhtunkwa, starting from June 13 (today).
The drive will focus to ensure 95 percent finger-marking during immunisation in high-risk union councils of district D.I. Khan, Nowshera, Kohat, Karak, Charssada, Bannu, Hangu, Tank, Lakki Marwat, and Mardan. More than 6,836 vaccination teams would be deputed under 1,302 supervisors in the said districts.
The department of Health, Khyber Pakhtunkwa and EPI cell Khyber Paktunkhwa in donor agencies, WHO and Unicef, Khyber Union of Journalists, and Peshawar Press Club have initiated media awareness drive regarding the immunisation campaign.
Dr Janbaz Afridi, Deputy Director EPI Cell Khyber Paktunkhwa, said that all arrangement have been finalised to carryout polio campaign, starting today in eight high risk districts of the province. He explained that the campaign would carry out eight high-risk districts of the province to target 3.31 children below the age of five year. He urged upon parents to immunise their children to establish a polio-free society. He informed that two drops of polio are essential for children to save from the lifetime disability, and called for bringing changes in behaviours to get rid of the menace by the end of this year.
He revealed that a large number of polio refusal cases were addressed with the support of religious clerics in the province, which is also part of polio awareness campaign. Unfortunately, he said, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and India are still fighting against polio. Owing to lack of awareness and misperceptions about polio vaccine, they have failed to get rid of the menace despite a decade-long campaign.
Dr Afridi highlighted the role of media for creation of awareness about polio vaccine and stressed need for playing role in this regard. An emergency action plan has already been devised both at the federal and provincial government level to make Pakistan 100 percent polio free this year, he said.