QUETTA: A three-day polio eradication campaign began in eight districts of Balochistan amid tight security on Monday.

A heavy contingent of Frontier Corps and police was deployed to escort health workers administering vaccination drops to more than 623,563 children under the age of five.

Some 1,612 teams are taking part in the drive. There are 1,543 mobile teams, 170 fixed sites, and 99 transit points to facilitate the general public to get their wards administered the doses.

The districts picked for the campaign are Barkan, Jaffarabad, Kila Saifullah, Loralai, Musakhail, Nasirabad, Zhob and Sherani.

Chief Coordinator Emergency Operation Centre Balochistan Syed Faisal Ahmed, expressing the determination, said: “We will not compromise on the security of the staff of Health Department and volunteers engaged in anti-polio campaign”.

Earlier this month a polio case of an 18-month-old child was reported from Mehmoodabad tehsil of Kila Abdullah which is the first case reported from Balochistan and third case from overall country.

“Poliovirus is still present in the province and we are worried that the virus could affect the other children as well,” said Mr Ahmed, adding that it was the responsibility of the parents to cooperate with health workers for administering polio drops to their children.

He praised the support received and steps carried out by the provincial government. Next anti-polio campaign will commence in Quetta, Pishin, Qila Abdullah and Mastung from July 24.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2017