Peshawar: The last vaccination drive of the year was formally launched in the province at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Friday, showing the government’s strong resolve and commitment for polio eradication and to stop virus transmission in the environment through repeated vaccination drives.
The five-days drive, which is set to commence from December 16, was formally launched at a ceremony held in the provincial EOC which was attended by Special Secretary Health and EOC Coordinator, Deputy Coordinator EOC, representatives of UNICEF, WHO and NSTOP, officials of health department and a large number of media representatives.
As a recognition of the support of media organizations and journalists’ community for the eradication of polio virus, the EOC coordinator Abdul Basit offered the media persons to inaugurate the drive. As such a female journalist administered polio drops to a child to formally inaugurate the campaign in the province.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Abdul Basit said that all possible steps are being undertaken to stop the circulation of polio virus in the province. Referring to the detection of polio cases in the province, he said that it is matter of deep concern that 18 children have been affected so far this year in the province, stressing that the vaccination of every child in each campaign is mandatory to improve the immunity system of the children against this crippling virus.
Sharing details of the campaign, EOC Coordinator Abdul Basit said that during this campaign, polio drops will be administered to approximately 7.3 million under five children across the province, except district Kurram where the campaign has been deferred for now.
Abdul Basit said that all arrangements have been finalized for the successful implementation of this campaign, adding that 42,161 teams of trained polio workers including 32,387 mobile teams, 6,301 observers, 1,967 fixed teams, 1,342 transit teams and 164 roaming teams have been formed to administer polio drops to the children. Besides, 8,273 area in-charges have also been appointed for the vigilant supervision of these teams to make sure that all children in the target areas are administered with polio vaccines.
In order to ensure foolproof security of the polio teams during this campaign, approximately 54,000 security personnel have been deployed in the target areas, he concluded.
