Daily Times

Special Secretary Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Attaur Rehman inaugurated anti-polio drive here on Monday at Police Services Hospital wherein more than 4.35 million children will be immunized against polio in 25 districts of the province.

Talking to media on the occasion, Atta-ur Rehman said this anti-polio drive was planned in two phases, the first phase was being carried out in Bannu and D.I. Khan divisions wherein 1.07 children will be immunized against the crippling disease.

A total of 5,597 teams have been established to vaccinate the target children in Bannu and D.I.Khan divisions out of which 5037 are mobile teams, 284 fixed teams, 245 transit while 31 roaming teams, he added.

Rehman said that 14887 total teams have been constituted for the phase-II of the campaign that will be carried out in Peshawar, Mardan and Kohat divisions, District Bajaur, Dir Lower and union councils with Afghan Refugees camps in Chitral lower, Malakand, Buner, Haripur and Mansehra. Total target of phase-II of the campaign stands at 3.4 million. He said that 4949 area in-charges and 1156 Union Council polio eradication chairmen have been deployed to monitor quality of the campaign and rectify existing gaps at the grass-root level.

Special Secretary said that it was the first anti-polio campaign of the year and was of utmost importance as polio eradication remains the top priority of the government. He said that augmented efforts were needed at all levels to sustain the current achievements in polio eradication and help the government reach the finish line.

Rehman appreciated the work of teams said that the current achievements were possible due to their dedication adding that polio teams are the frontline workers and backbone of the programme. He said that zero tolerance would be meted out to those found negligent as the programme cannot afford any lapse or mistake in this stage. He appealed to the parents to ensure anti-polio drops in every campaign to their children under five years.

Earlier, Special Secretary Health KP Atta-Ur-Rehman administered anti-polio drops to children to formally kick off the anti-polio campaign in selected districts of the province.