ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The nationwide anti-polio campaign from January 16 to 20 began on Monday to vaccinate 44.2 million children under five years of age against the crippling disease.
The Official Sources said that more than 360,000 trained and dedicated “Sehat muhafiz” are taking part in the vaccination drive to inoculate the targeted children at their doorstep.
During the campaign, additional doses of vitamin A will also be administered to children.
Meanwhile, while inaugurating the first anti-polio campaign of the current year in Islamabad by administering polio drops to children, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif expressed the confidence that polio virus will be eliminated from the Country through collective efforts.
The prime minister expressed the confidence that all provincial governments, along with the federal government, will actively participate in the drive for complete eradication of poliovirus from the Country.
16 تا 20 جنوری۔قومی انسداد پولیو مہم کے دوران چار کروڑ 42لاکھ بچوں کو حفاظتی قطرے پلوانے کا ہدف۔تین لاکھ ساٹھ ہزارسے زائد فرنٹ لائن ورکرز میدان عمل میں۔مہم کے دوران وٹامن اے کی اضافی خوراک بھی دی جارہی ہے۔بچوں کو مستقل معذوری سے بچانا ہمارا مذہبی اور اخلاقی فریضہ ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/rZaMVRkkLA
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) January 16, 2023
In his remarks, the Federal Minister for National Health Services Abdul Qadir Patel said that Pakistan has made great strides in the fight against polio, reducing the virus circulation to only one small part of the Country in Southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The health minister said that the Country is quite close to elimination of polio virus.
The Coordinator of the National Emergency Operation Centre Dr. Shahzad Baig said that high-risk districts will be top priority during the anti-polio campaign.
Dr. Shahzad Baig said that we are keen to eliminate polio virus from the challenging areas while protecting the rest of the regions as well.
