QUETTA: Coordinator of Emergency Operation Centre, Balo­chistan, Hameedullah Nasar has said that the five-day polio campaign will start in the province on Monday (today).

All preparations have been completed for the drive, during which 11,383 teams would would administer anti-polio drops to more than 2.5 million children of up to the age of five years.

At least 9,470 mobile, 949 fixed and 552 transit teams will participate in the campaign.

Mr Nasar said that during the campaign strict security would be provided to the polio teams to prevent any untoward incident.

“Balochistan Levies, police and Frontier Corps personnel would be deployed to protect the polio workers,” he said, adding that religious scholars were also taking part to persuade the parents who normally refused to administer the polio drops to their children. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the two countries in the world which still have polio cases.

One polio case was reported this year from Killa Abdullah district of Balochistan.

“The efforts and dedication of our frontline workers are admirable, yet we have to strive more to stop the virus from circulating,” Mr Nasar said.

Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2021