- More than 11,000 teams will participate in the vaccination campaign.
- More than 26 lakh children will be given anti-polio drops.
- Security arrangements have been made for the polio teams.
Quetta: A seven-day anti-polio vaccination campaign has started today in Balochistan, the province most affected by disability with 27 cases so far in 2024.
As many as 11,600 teams will participate in the vaccination drive, with the Emergency Operations Center officials saying the vaccination drive will target more than 2.6 million children under five years of age.
Additionally, security arrangements have also been made with polio teams, EOC officials said.
Balochistan EOC Coordinator Inamul Haque has urged parents, media and citizens to play their role in making the anti-polio campaign a success.
Pakistan is one of only two polio-affected countries in the world, along with Afghanistan, and the number of cases in the country had declined significantly on an annual basis until the recent spike in cases.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Program explains that polio is a “crippling” disease with “no cure” and that “the completion of routine immunization for all children under the age of five” will protect them from “this dreaded disease.” Provides superior immunity against
The country has seen an alarming increase in the prevalence of poliovirus, with 67 cases of the disabling disease reported in 2024. Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh have reported 19 cases each.
One child each in Islamabad and Punjab is suffering from a disability.
The government has launched multiple vaccination campaigns as part of efforts to eradicate the disease from the country. The latest was a nationwide campaign, the last for 2024, earlier this month.
However, the country’s intensive efforts to eradicate polio face significant challenges, particularly in areas where insecurity, misinformation, and parental refusal hinder vaccination campaigns.
With more than 60% of polio-infected children not routinely immunized in 2024, health officials have called for improved coordination between the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI). A high-level committee was set up for