BAJAUR: The three day anti-polio drive launched in Bajaur agency on Monday amid tight security to ensure safety of health workers.
A senior official of the local health department told APP here that 694 teams are taking part in the drive to vaccinate 226,310 children under five years of age across the agency.
About 1,600 health workers including volunteers, teachers, officials and supporting staff are participating in the drive.
The official said that two personnel of Bajaur levies force and two volunteers of peace committees are being accompanied with polio teams in less sensitive areas while two levies men, two members of village defence committees and two officials of security forces are being deployed with each polio team in most sensitive areas.
Reply to a question, the official said that law and order situation in almost areas was favorable for the drive while no threats for the health teams have been reported in any parts of the agency.
To a question, he said that refusal cases had been reduced in the agency during the last drives and no positive case had been reported for the last couple of years.
The official said that tribesmen of agency were aware about importance of anti polio drive and now the people all walks of life particularly tribal elders, religious and political leaders were supporting the health teams in anti polio immunization campaign.
Meanwhile the local health department and the political administration have failed to hold an inauguration ceremony of the current anti polio drive in the agency.
Sources in the local health department told this correspondent that no formal inauguration ceremony by the civil administration or the health department was held for the current three day-anti polio immunization campaign.
Meanwhile the local administration has enhanced its efforts to thwart any incidents during the polio drive across the agency following an attack on a polio team that killed a levies man protecting the health workers in Damadola area in September 10, 2014.
According to the official at least 1,000 personnel of Bajaur levies force have been deployed at polio teams across the agency.
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