Anti-polio, Vitamin-A Campaign In Tribal Districts Begins On Monday

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Sep, 2018 ) :Anti-polio campaign in Tribal Districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will start on Monday in which 913193 children will be vaccinated.

However, in District Khyber, North Waziristan and South Waziristan five days anti-polio campaign will be conducted from September 24, 2018 to September 28th, 2018 followed by catch up of missed children said the spokesperson on Sunday.

In the entire Tribal Districts, 913193 children below the age of five years will be vaccinated with oral polio vaccine by total of 3971 teams, comprising 3666 mobile teams, 216 fixed teams and 89 transit teams.

Teams will also be administering vitamin-A capsules to total of 829997 children. Of these, Blue Vitamin-A capsules will be administered to 92222 children between the ages of six months to 11 months and Red Vitamin-A capsules will be administered to 737775 children between the ages of 12 months to 59 months.

Coordinator EOC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal Districts, Mahmood Aslam Wazir said that vaccination of children crossing into tribal districts, in polio high risk areas is our priority to prevent polio virus from entering tribal districts.

Polio virus has been found in Bajaur through environmental sampling. EOC Coordinator has urged the teams to vaccinate every child coming into Bajaur and all the tribal districts. He committed that all the teams will go beyond the call of duty to implement the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) activities for polio eradication.

Mehmood Aslam said that no case emerged in tribal districts for around 26 months which is due to cooperation of parents/caregivers, relentless efforts of frontline workers, support of partners and commitment of higher echelons. But these efforts need persistence to stop virus from circulating in remaining few pockets of Tribal Districts for polio eradication.

Technical Focal Person EOC TDKP Dr. Nadeem Jan urged parents/caregivers to continue cooperating with Sehat Muhafiz (polio workers) when they knock on their doors to be part of making history by complete eradication of polio and stopping its transmission in Tribal Districts.

Heemphasized that we need to maintain performance with same determination anddiligence until eradication is achieved.