CHITRAL: The special national immunisation days (SNIDs) campaign for polio eradication was inaugurated in Upper and Lower Chitral districts here on Saturday.

Lower Chitral deputy commissioner Naveed Ahmed opened the campaign by administering oral polio vaccine to a number of children in the Women and Children Hospital, Chitral. Later, he led an awareness walk, which started from the Zhang Bazaar and culminated at the Atalique Chowk.

EPI coordinator Dr Fayyaz Rumi told the participants of the function that in view of the approaching winter season, the SNIDs had been arranged in all the 24 union councils of both the districts as many areas could not be accessed when snow fell.

He said that 76,342 children below the age of five years would be targeted by 464 mobile teams at 35 fixed and 15 transit points.

Meanwhile, Upper Chitral additional deputy commissioner Irfanuddin opened the campaign at a function in the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital, Booni.

Representatives of the Emergency Operation Centre of Polio Eradication Programme, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, were also present in both the functions.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2020