QUETTA: A Quetta anti-polio campaign was suspended in 18 union councils on Thursday due to authorities' failure to provide timely security to polio teams in the city.

A source in the Balochistan Health Department (BHD) told DawnNews that the anti-polio drive would be re-launched on Friday after appropriate security was provided by the administration.

Sources said, "There are polio samples in the environment of Quetta ... We fear [there may be] polio cases in Quetta."

Polio teams have been attacked in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan in the past.

In November 2014, gunmen attacked an anti-polio team in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area and killed four polio workers, including three women volunteers.

The Balochistan Health Department — with the support of Unicef and other organisations — aims to provide polio drops to more than 400,000 children below the age of five years in Quetta during the ongoing campaign.

The campaign, during its first phase, was launched in 18 union councils on Wednesday morning.

"The second phase will be launched on May 25 in different parts of Quetta," said campaign Emergency Center Coordinator Dr Saifur Rehman in a statement.

During 2015, three polio cases have been reported from Balochistan's Killa Abdullah, Loralai and Quetta areas.

Currently, a polio campaign is underway in Zhob, Sherani, Lasbella and four other districts of Balochistan.

The Balochistan government has decided to provide anti-polio drops to 1.2 million children in the said districts.

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