Anti-polio campaign kick-off in Fata today

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: Three-day anti-polio campaign in FATA starts from Monday in which 1004506 children below the age of five years will be vaccinated.

The campaign in FATA will continue from March 12, to March 14, followed by catch up of missed children, under the supervision of Aagency Surgeons and security provided by political administration.

Total of 1004506 children will be vaccinate dwith polio drops by3 709teams, comprising 3379 mobile teams, 238 fixed teams and 92 transit teams.

EOC Coordinator Muhammad Zubair Khan said FATA team has achieved substantial progress and are in a better position to eradicate polio.

None of these gains would have been possible without the committed of brave and heroic work of frontline workers whose diligence and hard work is obvious from the fact that no polio case emerged in FATA since July 2016.

The only thing we now need is to remain on track towards stopping transmission of polio and making sure that every last child receives anti polio vaccine he said.

Zubair advised the team to ensure vaccination of each and every child in FATA especially high risk mobile population that travel to and from FATA and FRs within the country and from outside across the border.

It is worth mentioning here that FATA is without polio case for the last 19 months.

“Those people who are moving from one place to another must vaccinate their children on transit points. This is how we can help protect our children from polio disease,” Muhammad Zubair Khan said.

He advised EOC FATA team “to ensure vaccination of each and every child in FATA especially high risk mobile population that travel to and from FATA and FRs within the country and from outsideacross the border”.

Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra while chairing FATA Task Force (for Polio) Meeting, held on Friday March 9th, 2018, termed eradicating polio as one of the top most priorities of the incumbent government and emphasized on vaccination of missed children and effective coordination with intra agencies and even with teams across the border to ensure vaccination of every child.

He also praised the work done by health workers and asked to sustain the efforts till the end of polio in FATA.

However, three days anti polio campaign in Bajaur Agency will start from March 19, 2018. The campaign will focus on missed children and mobile population within FATA and from across the border.

FATA is without polio case for the last 19 months. Last polio case in FATA was reported on July 27th, 2016.  Not a single case was reported during 2017 in FATA. So far in 2018 no polio case has been reported from FATA.