QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattah has said that eradication of polio is the government’s top priority and extensive campaigns will be launched in this regard.

Presiding over a meeting about an upcoming anti-polio campaign, he said all possible steps were being taken to make Balochistan polio-free at the earliest.

The special campaign will be carried out from April 4 to 11 in Quetta, Pishin and Qila Abdullah districts.

Provincial Health Secretary Muhammad Omar Baloch, Quetta Commissioner Kambar Dashti, Deputy Commissioner Dawood Khilji, the Emergency Operation Centre for Polio Eradication’s Coordinator Dr Saifur Rehman, the United Nations Children’s Fund’s Dr Jahwar Habib and a representative of the World Health Organisation were also present.

Meeting in Quetta discusses coming vaccination campaign

Briefing the meeting, Dr Rehman said polio vaccines would be injected to children aged four to 23 months, for which 232 centres would be set up in Quetta, 131 in Pishin and 195 in Qila Abdullah. He said 150,842 children would be vaccinated in Quetta, 41,898 in Pishin and 46,459 in Qila Abdullah. He said the injection was of a very sensitive nature and no carelessness could be afforded in the process.

Mr Chattah said the provincial government would ensure security of the vaccination teams and contingents of police and Levies would be deployed in the three districts. He lauded the role of Unicef and the WHO as coordinating agencies.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2016