LAKKI MARWAT/SWABI: A three-day anti-polio campaign beginning in Lakki Marwat and Swabi districts today (Monday) will focus on reducing refusal cases.

In Lakki Marwat, the campaign was launched by Bannu division commissioner Asmatullah Khan Gandapur by administering anti-polio drops to children at the district headquarters complex, Tajazai.

Speaking at a ceremony on the occasion, Mr Gandapur said that polio refusal cases were the main reason for prevalence of crippling disease in the country, and urged all segments of society to launch concerted efforts to eliminate the epidemic.

Lakki deputy commissioner Ihsanullah Khan, district health officer Nek Nawaz, Lakki civil society president engineer Ameer Nawaz, Marwat and Bittini tribal chiefs and representatives of internally displaced persons from North Waziristan were in attendance.

Mr Gandapur said that the number of refusal cases was high in Lakki and Bannu districts, which he said was because of lack of education and awareness.

He said that authorities concerned should ensure conveying message about usefulness of oral polio vaccine to parents.

“The mediapersons and clerics should also play their effective role in this regard to convince parents on their children’s vaccination,” he said.

Mr Gandapur also asked ulema and journalists to remove misconceptions about oral polio vaccine from the minds of people.

Lakki district health officer said that 490 teams would launch door to door campaign to immunise over 161,000 children against polio in the district. He said that over 11,000 displaced children of North Waziristan Agency would also be vaccinated.

He revealed that the number of refusal cases had been reduced to 1,900 in the district and that efforts were underway to cover all such cases with the help of local administration, education department, line departments and prayer leaders.

In Swabi, speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the polio campaign, members of local Islahi Jirga assured to extend their help to make the anti-polio campaign a success.

The meeting was attended by deputy commissioner Matiullah Khan, Islahi Jirga president Gul Mast Khan, district police officer Sajjad Khan, health officials and elders from various areas.

It is the first time that the jirga members and officials of the district administration have decided to cooperate in the anti-polio campaign.

The jirga members said that they would help reduce the number of refusal cases. The jirga members will play their due role in convincing the people to administer anti-polio drops to their children to protect them from the deadly disease,” said Gul Mast Khan.

Police and health officials welcomed the jirga members’ support, saying that their role would be critical for success of the polio drive.

Meanwhile, EPI district in charge Dr Yaqub said that they had constituted 636 mobile and 28 transit teams to vaccinate about 250,000 children across the district.

Police officials said that they had taken steps to provide foolproof security to the anti-polio teams.

Published in Dawn February 16th , 2015

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