Peshawar - Emergency Operations Centre Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is all set to conduct Sub-National Immunisation Drive (SNID) in selected districts of the province from August 07, 2023 wherein over 2.72 million eligible children will be vaccinated against the crippling virus at their doorsteps.
During the vaccination drive titled Sub-National Immunisation Days/ Outbreak Response (SNID/ OBR), teams will administer Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to all eligible children under five in eight complete and nine partial districts of the province while in district Peshawar and Khyber fractional dose of Inactivated Polio Vaccine (FIPV) will also be administered to children falling in the age bracket of 4 months to 59 months to further boost their immunity against polio virus and protect them from lifelong paralysis.
The decision to this effect was taken in a high-level meeting chaired by Additional Secretary Health for Polio Eradication/EOC Coordinator Muhammad Asif Rahim here in Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) on Friday.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Coordinator EOC Muhammad Zeeshan Khan, team leads UNICEF, WHO & NSTOP, officials of health department and other relevant stakeholders.
The meeting was informed that during this campaign polio drops will be administered to 2,466,828 children under the age of five in eight complete districts of the province including district Hangu, Kohat, Peshawar, Khyber, Nowshera, Charsadda, Mohmand and Bannu whereas over 92,242 children will be inoculated in Afghan Refugee Camps in district Buner, Lower Chitral, Lower Dir, Haripur, Mansehra, Malakand, Mardan and Swabi while 161,305 children will be vaccinated in 11 selected union councils of North Waziristan and 14 union councils of Haripur.
Addressing the meeting, Additional Secretary Health for Polio Eradication/EOC Coordinator, Muhammad Asif Rahim said that conducting frequent polio vaccination campaigns in the province demonstrates the government’s firm resolve to eradicate the menace from the region with the technical guidance and support of partners.
