QUETTA: A three-day polio vaccination campaign will begin in 15 districts of Balochistan on Monday during which more than 1.3 million children under the age of five would be inoculated against the crippling disease.

According to the coordinator of Emergency Operation Centre, Rashid Razzaq, all preparations for the campaign have been made. He said around 5,735 teams of vaccinators would take part in the campaign. There would be 4,917 mobile teams while 454 teams would camp in residential areas and 364 teams at entry points of the province, he added.

The 15 districts are Quetta, Pishin, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Bolan, Dera Bugti, Jhal Magsi, Zhob, Mastung, Naseerabad, Jaffarabad, Lasbela, Sibi, Sohbatpur and Ziarat.

He said efforts would be made to administer polio drops to maximum number of children in these 15 districts.

The coordinator said strict security arrangements had been made for the teams of vaccinators. Personnel of Frontier Corps, police and Levies force would provide security to the teams, he added.

Mr Razzaq said religious scholars would also take part in the campaign, adding that they would try to persuade those parents who refuse to get their children administered polio drops on religious grounds.

Three polio cases were reported in Balochistan this year, all from Duki district. Presence of polio virus in environmental samples of Quetta, Qilla Abdullah and Loralai was also found recently.

Quetta, Qilla Abdullah and Pishin districts have been declared as high-risk areas where polio virus is still active.

According to experts, intense efforts were required to stop circulation of polio virus in the province.

Mr Razzaq called upon parents to get their children administered polio drops and cooperate with vaccinators during the campaign. He also urged religious leaders, members of civil society and media personnel to play their role for the success of vaccination campaign.

Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are only countries in the world where polio virus still exists.

Published in Dawn, November 12th, 2018