QUETTA: A five-day polio eradication campaign will begin in 33 districts of Balochistan on Dec 10 with an objective to administer polio drops to around 2.5 million children under the age of five.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Coordinator of Polio Emergency Operation Centre Rashid Razzaq said that all arrangements for the campaign had been completed.

He urged people from all walks of life, including religious scholars, parents and members of civil society, to play their role for making the drive a success.

The government was making efforts to make Quetta, Pishin and Kila Abdullah polio-free areas as these districts had been designated the most high-risk areas, he said, adding most of polio cases were generally reported from these areas.

He said about 10,356 teams of vaccinators would participate in the five-day drive, adding that there would be 8,829 mobile teams, 951 camps in residential areas and 576 camps at entry points of the province.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2018