PESHAWAR - With the financial assistance of Saudi Arabia, a single day anti-polio campaign was launched in 96 union councils of Peshawar district in which 0.7 million children were immunised against poliovirus.
Talking to The Nation Dr Ikram Shah, focal person of district polio control room, said that after Sehat Ka Insaf campaign against nine diseases in Peshawar, five environmental samples were taken from Union Council Larama and Shaheen Muslim Town where results were negative. He said that with the assistance of Saudi Arabia they decided to run a single day anti-polio campaign in Bara, Khyber Agency, Charsadda and Peshawar.
He said that a single day anti-polio campaign was successfully completed in Charssada and Bara on Saturday last, while another four days campaign is under way in southern areas including Kohat, DI Khan, Lakki Marwat, Tank and Bannu.
He said around 0.7 million children were immunised in 96 union councils of Peshawar in a single day campaign. He informed that during 2,400 teams including health workers, teachers and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf workers participated in the campaign while around 5700 security personals also were deployed.
He said that during the campaign in southern areas, they have planned to immunise the children of internally displaced persons from North Waziristan. He said that the law-enforcement agencies have been directed to tighten security.
He informed that the entry and exit points in both Peshawar and DI Khan have been sealed and a restriction on riding motorcycles has also been imposed.