PESHAWAR  - All is set to launch a three-day National Immunisation Campaign (NIC) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata on Monday wherein 6.2 million children under five years of age would be administered  Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).
Dr Jan Baz Afridi, Deputy Director EPI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa told APP on Sunday that all arrangements have been completed for holding of three-day anti-polio campaign across the province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas including Afghan refugees’ camps from Monday (October 15-17) and the vaccine has been provided to the concerned districts and agency headquarters.
He said 5.2 million children below five years of age would be given Oral Polio Vaccines (OPVs) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while about one million kids would get the same facility in Fata.
Dr Janbaz said that it was nation wise campaign and the Health Department of KP would be assisted by Traffic Police, Lady Health Workers, area incharge and social mobalisers. To achieve the said target, the official said 15500 teams for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 3500 for Fata have been formed that will reach door to door and house to house to vaccinate children to make Pakistan Polio free country. He said Polio Eradication has been declared national emergency by the Government and Augmented National Emergency Action Plan (ANEAP) has been devised to cope with this menace. The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has in recent months allocated Rs 35.15 million for strengthening of the Union Council Polio Eradication Committees.
He said district Polio Control Rooms have been established in each district and the Provincial Government is in close contact with the District administrations in the Province over the polio eradication initiative.
In case of non-arrival of the teams, he held an appeal to parents and guardians to bring their children to nearest hospitals and BHUs for vaccination. To a question, he said special focus is being made to vulnerable and high-risk areas, adding 17 polio cases were detected in KP and 15 from Fata this year.
The official said there was significantly decrease in refusal cases owing to effective advocacy campaigns and holding of vigorous immunisation drives. After India obtained polio-free status, the World Health Organisation and other donors’ agencies are giving top focus now on three endemic countries i.e. Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria to eradicate this disease completely.
Dr Jan Baz said polio was crippling disease that could only be eradicated by making joint efforts and supporting each others for this national obligation. He expressed the hope that polio would soon be eradicated from the country with the support of all segments of society.
He lauded the EPI staff for their improved performance and reaching out to all children. Dr Jan Baz said the reward and punishment system has been introduced and officials with good performance are being rewarded.
The official said DCOs and Political Agents have been directed to supervise and monitors the campaigns on grounds so that no child could be deprived of OPV that only way forward to defeat this menace.
Dr Jan Baz held out an appeal to parents to vaccinate their children against polio and protect them from permanent disability and urged upon media and religious scholars to support the national cause and play its constructive role in raising awareness among the masses about polio that could be protected merely by administering two drops to their children.