QUETTA: A three-day polio vaccination campaign in 33 districts of Balochistan will begin on Monday (today).

The coordinator of the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), Balochistan, Syed Faisal Ahmed, said on Sunday that all arrangements for the campaign had been made. He said more than 2.4 million children were expected to be vaccinated against the polio virus during the campaign, adding that the children would also be given Vitamin-A drops.

Mr Ahmed said 9,764 teams of vaccinators — 8,375 mobile parties and 890 camps in cities and towns and 499 camps at the entry points of the province — had been planned for the campaign. He said efforts were being made to cover maximum number of children during the campaign.

The coordinator said that strict security arrangements for the vaccinators had been made, adding that personnel of the Frontier Corps, police and Levies Force would accompany all mobile parties of vaccinators and provide protection to the camps.

He said that for reducing the refusal cases the EOC had sought the help of religious leaders and ulema who would work with the vaccinators in persuading reluctant parents to get their children vaccinated.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries in the world where polio cases are still detected.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2017