QUETTA: The government and other stakeholders have been urged to ensure polio vaccination of the children of North Waziristan’s internally displaced persons arriving in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan.

A PML-Q leader, Salma Hashmi, said in a statement that the World Health Organisation and Unicef had stated in their reports that Afghan refugees and visitors from Sindh had brought poliovirus to Quetta.

It has been confirmed by recent laboratory tests of samples taken from sewerage drains of the Quetta, which have revealed the presence of poliovirus strains originally found in the neighbouring country and province.

“Polio vaccination of the children of the IDPs will protect them and also the locals from the crippling disease,” she said and urged the federal and provincial governments, the WHO and Unicef to immediately launch a polio drive focussing the displaced people.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2014