Three-day anti-polio drive starts in Balochistan on Monday

QUETTA: Amid tight security, a three-day anti-polio drive would be launched in Quetta and other 31 districts of Balochistan on Monday (tomorrow), while a ban on pillion riding has been imposed in Quetta in this regard.

During the campaign 2.4 million children below the age of five years would be administered polio drops. This was stated by Minister Health Balochistan, Rehmat Saleh Baloch at Quetta Press Club on Sunday evening.

Rehmat Baloch said the province was taking all necessary measures to improve the quality of the anti-polio campaign to achieve the target set under National Emergency Action Plan (NEAP).

“Under the NEAP, Balochistan will launch nine high quality anti-polio drives during the next nine months,” he said.

Baloch was accompanied by Secretary Health Noorul Haq Baloch, Coordinator Emergency Operation Center Dr. Syed Saif Ur Rehman and Coordinator EPI Shakir Baloch.

The religious scholars Dr. Atta Ur Rehman, Anwarul Haq Haqani, Abdul Rahim Raheemi and Abdul Baqi Tahidi were also present to give their complete support to anti-polio drive.

Providing details, he said the campaign will take place in 32 districts, where the total target population of kids less than 5-years is 2,472,616.

Around 6,603 mobile teams, 796 fixed teams, 321 transit teams at 46 permanent transit points will take part in the three-day long polio eradication campaign across Balochistan.

“There are 61 high risk union councils — 32 in Quetta, 24 in Killa Abdullah, 2 in Zhob, each in Pishin, Khuzdar and Musakhail Districts — where anti-polio campaigners are putting their best efforts to reach every child below the age of five,” Rehmat Saleh Baloch said.

He said his government and party is politically committed to play front role for eradicating poliovirus from the country.

At least five children in the province have contracted crippling polio disease in this year of 2015 while the cases of polio were 25 in 2015.

“We have formed a better strategy for the upcoming campaigns on September 14th. The security plan has been finalized with the deployment of Balochistan levies, police and Blaochistan constabulary,” he said.

He said government with the help of partners have deployed Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) in high risk union councils of Quetta block who will administer polio drops to the children and have better access to the children blow the age of five years inside the house.

The Religious leaders and clerics have also been working with polio teams in high risk union councils to create a demand for vaccination and positive environment for anti-polio drive, he said.

The government has set up control room which could be reached at 081-9201246, 0826-420889 and 0826-614890 in Quetta, Pishin and Killa Abdullah respectively at any time for lodging complaints regarding polio campaign.