Anti-Polio Campaign Launches Across 97 Selected Districts Nationwide, Targeting Over 24 Million Children Under Five; Drive Runs Until November 8 in Coordination With Afghanistan
ISLAMABAD: A sub-national anti-polio vaccination drive has officially kicked off from today in 97 hand selected districts across the country to inject polio drops into around 24 million children below 5 years of age with ambitious goals to eradicate polio virus.
The anti polio drive is continuing till November 8, says National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC). More than 200,000 committed frontline healthcare workers mobilized for door to door visits, to ensure that all eligible children get the critical vaccine.
The highlights of the Nationwide Anti-Polio Campaign are:
Authorities said anti-polio efforts are underway in Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan at the same time to effectively address cross-border spread of polio.
Target and Workforce: The nationwide campaign is targeting approximately 2.4 crore (24 million) children under five, through a massive frontline campaign involving trained frontline workers going door-to-door in the 97 targeted districts.
Appeal to Parents: A strong appeal has been made to parents and caregivers to fully cooperate with visiting health teams and ensure that all children under 5 are administered polio drops throughout the week-long drive, by NEOC.