KHAR: A three- day anti-polio campaign will start in Bajaur Agency today (Monday) amid tight security to ensure safety of the health workers across the region.

Speaking at a press conference here on Sunday, agency surgeon Dr Zakir Hussain said that arrangements for the campaign had been finalised. He said that 224,530 children below five years of age would be given oral polio vaccine across the agency. He said that 685 health teams comprising over 15,00 health workers, school teachers, volunteers and other officials would take part in the campaign.

Dr Hussain said that the local administration and the security forces had taken foolproof security measures to ensure safety of the health workers.

“The administration and security forces have assured us of ensuring safety of the polio teams,” he said, adding that personnel of Bajaur Levies, soldiers of the security forces and volunteers of peace committees would accompany the polio teams across the agency to thwart any unpleasant incident.

Dr Hussain said that they had also held several meetings with elders, heads of peace committees and religious leaders across the agency for their support and cooperation to the health teams. “We will try to vaccinate the children of the entire sensitive and border region on first day of the drive,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014