QUETTA: A five-day special anti-polio campaign was launched in Balochistan on Monday amid tight security.

During the campaign, 1.785 million children below the age of five years will be vaccinated in 19 out of 34 districts, including five high-risk districts bordering Afghanistan.

Hundreds of security personnel from Frontier Corps, police and Levies Force have been deputed to protect 6,820 polio teams.

“We are providing foolproof security to polio teams who are involved in the anti-polio campaign in the province,” Syed Zahid Shah, Coordinator of Balochistan Emergency Operation Centre, said.

He said polio workers had played a significant role in bringing Balochistan close to a polio-free province and they had rendered great sacrifices for it.

Mr Shah said that though no polio case had been reported from any area of Balochistan over the last 18 months, the campaign aimed to ensure that every child in the province was administered anti-polio drops.

“We are continuing our journey towards a polio-free province,” Mr Shah said.

The presence of poliovirus in Afghanistan was a huge challenge for those areas of Balochistan which had borders with county, Mr Shah added.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...