ISLAMABAD: A polio vaccination campaign will start from Monday (today) in 39 districts to vaccinate more than six million children under the age of five, according to the federal health ministry.

District-wide drives will be carried out from Feb 13 to 17 in seven districts of southern Khyber Pakhtun­khwa — Bannu, D.I. Khan, Tank, Lakki Marwat, North Waziristan, Upper South Waziristan and Lower South Waziristan where the problem is endemic, and two districts of Punjab, Lahore and Faisalabad.

Meanwhile, partial campaigns will be conducted in select union councils of 30 districts across the country, including Balochistan. It includes some UCs in Sheikhupura, 57 UCs bordering Afghanistan, 58 UCs with Afghan refugee camps and 107 UCs of Multan with high-risk mobile populations.

According to a statement issued by the Mini­stry of National Health Services, the campaign is being conducted after two environmental samples from Lahore tested positive for wild poliovirus in January.

The first positive sample of 2023 was detected on Jan 19 and was genetically linked to the poliovirus found in the Nangarhar province of Afghanistan in November 2022, according to the polio lab at the National Institute of Health.

This was the first evidence of cross-border transmission in more than a year. The second positive sample was reported on Jan 27, genetically linked to a virus circulating in southern KP.

Federal Minister for Health Abdul Qadir Patel has encouraged parents and caregivers to ensure the vaccination of their children.

He said that presence of wild poliovirus with genetic links to the virus in Afghanistan and south KP was evidence of the virus’ mobility.

“Poliovirus on any side of the border is a threat to children in both countries. Only repeated doses of oral polio vaccine can offer life-long protection,” he added.

“Our vaccinators will keep bringing the vaccine to your doorstep as often as needed, so I encourage parents and caregivers to ensure that your children take these drops and remain protected,” he said.

National Emergency Operations Centre Coordinator Dr Shahzad Baig said 37 environmental samples were positive for wild poliovirus in 13 districts last year.

But repeated vaccination drives successfully restricted the virus to the endemic districts of southern KP.

In 2022, 20 children were paralysed by the virus in the country — all of them belong to the southern districts of KP. Of the 20, 17 were from North Waziristan, two from Lakki Marwat and one from South Waziristan.

Campaign in Balochistan

The drive will cover 37 union councils in nine districts of Balochistan with an aim to inoculate 127,253 children, a senior health official said on Sunday.

As many as 575 teams will administer polio drops in areas that have been classified as high-risk, Balochistan Emergency Operation Centre Coordinator Syed Zahid Shah said.

The campaign will be launched in Panjpai UC of Quetta, along with four UCs in Pishin, six in Qila Abdullah, five in Chaman, nine in Chagai, two in Qila Saifullah, three in Loralai, four in Noshki and three in Zhob.

No case of poliovirus has been reported in Balochistan for two years while environmental samples collected from the area have shown no signs of the virus since April 2021.

Mr Shah said the presence of virus in other areas of the country like Lahore and neighbouring Afghanistan pose a challenge for the province.

Talking about security arrangements, Mr Shah said personnel of Frontier Corps, Balochistan Levies and police have been deployed for the protection of polio teams.

Polio teams have faced several attacks over the past years in Balochistan.

In October 2022, a Levies soldier and a policeman guarding polio vaccination teams in Pishin and Chaman, respectively, were shot dead by unidentified gunmen.

In November, at least four peo­­ple were killed and 24 injured when a suicide attacker targeted a police truck in the Baleli area, some 15 kilometres away from Quetta. The truck was carrying a police contingent for the security of polio workers administering vaccines in nearby areas.

Saleem Shahid in Quetta also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2023