Anti-polio drive at Torkham border from March 25

F.P. Report

PESHAWAR: In pursuance of global polio eradication initiative and Pakistan’s national emergency action plan goal to stop wild poliovirus transmission in Pakistan, once and for all, vaccination of every person, of all age, gender, crossing Pakistan-Afghanistan Border at Torkham crossing will be started on March 25, 2019.

EOC Coordinator Capt. (R) Kamran Ahmed Afridi said, “All age travelers crossing Pakistan Afghanistan Torkham border will be vaccinated by the transit teams of both countries with the purpose to interrupt polio virus circulation in the region.”

He said that, “We are close to polio eradication and now this decision by the governments of Pakistan and Afghanistan to start all age vaccination on Torkham crossing will help contain virus circulation in the region.”

He added that polio virus mostly infect children but adults can be carrier and cause of polio virus transmission from one place to another place so all age vaccination is a step forward to put an end to polio virus movement across the borders.

The coordinator said that Khyber district has remained as high priority tier one district as it’s polio endemic area, with movement of high risk mobile population, having history of giving higher number of cases in the past. While it is also located adjacent to Peshawar that has also been continuously marked as polio reservoir area and frequently been found as a source of virus circulation in the region.  He said “all age vaccination at Torkham Border will help block transmission of virus across border.

Preparation for launching all age vaccination has already been completed. Additional male and female transit teams and social mobilizers have already been hired, trained and will soon be deployed to start vaccination from the set date.

Khyber district is tier one district hosting movement of around 14000 travelers on daily bases across the border. Vaccination of each and every person will serve as key to interrupt polio virus transmission across border as well as in the region.