Nationwide anti-polio drive kicks off today

ISLAMABAD: A week-long drive against polio will start all over the country from Monday (today), reports Radio Pakistan.

As part of the initiative, about 45 million children below the age of five years will receive anti-polio vaccinations.

The health workers will make door-to-door visits in both urban and rural areas to distribute the vaccines as well as vitamin A to the children.

Speaking about the upcoming campaign in Pakistan against the disease, First Lady of the nation, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, has urged everyone in the country to actively participate in the national drive against polio vaccination starting tomorrow.

In her remarks, she stated the success that has been achieved so far by the campaigns and said that the number of polio cases reported last year was 31, but only one has been detected till now.

However, according to the First Lady, the risk of contracting polio cannot be ruled out; therefore, she urged for repeated vaccinations in all campaigns.

Aseefa further stated that the upcoming drive has been planned in coordination with Afghanistan to prevent cross border spread.

She appreciated the role of front liners in the campaign and called for concerted efforts for a polio free Pakistan.

Over 45 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated in the country through the seven-day-long vaccination campaign. The health volunteers would knock doors for this mission in cities and remote areas while at the same time, Vitamin A would also be given to the children.

In Feb, when it was found out that about one million children had been left out in the first polio campaign, then Karachi turned out to be the leading city with maximum refusal cases.

A total of 53,000 refusal cases were recorded in the country in the ongoing polio vaccination campaign with 58 percent cases being recorded in Karachi and the campaign would end in the city by Feb 8.