QUETTA: A five-day special campaign against polio will be launched in Balochistan on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference along with representatives of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund and World Health Organisation here on Sat­urday, Coordinator of Balo­chistan’s Emergency Operation Centre Rashid Razzaq said all arrangements had been completed for vaccinating more than 2,098,000 children in 25 out of 33 districts of the province.

He said 7,443 mobile teams would take part in the campaign while 742 fixed points had been established in Quetta, Qila Abdullah, Pishin, Bar­khan, Bolan, Dera Bugti, Duki, Harnai, Sibi, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Kalat, Khuzdar, Kohlu, Killa Saifullah, Lasbela, Lora­lai, Mastung, Ziarat, Nasirabad, Sherani, Suhbatpur, Zhob, Musakhel and Surab districts.

Mr Razzaq said personnel of the Frontier Corps, police and Balochistan Levies would provide security to polio teams.

He said services of religious scholars had also been acquired to persuade the parents to get polio drops administered to their children under the age of five years.

The coordinator said 16 cases of polio had so far been reported in Balochistan this year.

“This is the first anti-polio campaign after significant decrease in coronavirus cases,” he said.

Mr Razzaq said 11 districts of Balochistan were currently affected by poliovirus.

The presence of poliovirus in the environment and sewage water of Quetta, Qila Abdullah and Pishin had been proved.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2020