PESHAWAR, May 8: A three-day anti-polio campaign was launched in the Khyber Agency on Monday to vaccinate children. Tribal elders, political leaders and representatives of the World Health Organisation and the Fata health directorate attended the inaugural ceremony at the District Headquarters Hospital in Jamrud.

Speaking on the occasion, Fata health services director Dr Zubair Khan asked people of the area to cooperate with polio teams.

He said tribal elders and political figures of the area could play a significant role in countering negative propaganda in this regard.

Dr Ziaur Rehman said 636 polio teams had been constituted for the purpose, 35 of which would be stationed at different health facilities, 593 were mobile teams and eight teams would be deputed at transit points such a market places and bus stops.

He said 13,800 vaccines were available to vaccinate 220,366 children, including 46,001 in the remote Tirah valley.

Khyber Agency Awami National Party president Abdur Rehman appreciated the role of the WHO team and the health directorate and extended his party’s support to them in the drive against the disease.

Field supervising medical officer Dr Mohammad Tariq said polio teams had been trained to ensure every child in the agency was vaccinated.

He said 40 vehicles had been provided by political authorities, 10 by the WHO and three by the National Programme of Immunisation for the purpose.

Later, Dr Abraham of the WHO told journalists that polio in Pakistan had nearly been eliminated and it would soon be put on the WHO observatory period for three years before declaring it polio free.

“Once it is achieved, the energy and resources spent on anti-polio drives can be shifted towards curable diseases in the country,” he said.

Answering a question, he said around two billion dollars had been spent on anti-polio campaigns around the world.

He said unchecked flow of people to and from Afghanistan, which was one of the three Asian countries having the virus, was an obstacle in Pakistan becoming a polio-free country.

Six to seven cases of polio had been detected in Afghanistan this year alone, he added.