By Anzal Amin
ISLAMABAD: The National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has launched a nationwide anti-polio campaign across 99 high-risk districts.
More than 28 million children under the age of five will be administered the life-saving polio vaccine drops during this drive.
Over 240,000 frontline health workers have been deployed to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign.
In Punjab, the campaign is being carried out in seven districts, targeting over 4.1 million children. However, the drive has been postponed in nine flood-affected districts of the province.
In Sindh, children in 25 districts will be covered, with over 8.9 million children set to receive the polio vaccine.
In Balochistan, the campaign spans 26 districts, aiming to immunize more than 2.1 million children.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the drive will target 27 districts, covering over 5.7 million children. The campaign in Southern KP is scheduled to begin formally from September 15.
Meanwhile, in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, children in two districts each will receive polio vaccination. In Islamabad, more than 450,000 children will be vaccinated to protect them from lifelong disability.
Health authorities have appealed to parents to fully cooperate with polio teams during the campaign and ensure that all children under the age of five receive the vaccine.
Parents have been urged to complete the full schedule of routine immunization for their children to protect them from polio and other preventable diseases.
“The two drops of polio vaccine are the safest shield against a lifetime of disability,” the NEOC emphasized.
