QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti launched a week-long anti-polio vaccination campaign on Monday, administering polio drops to children at a ceremony held at the CM House.

The initiative comes in response to a troubling surge in polio cases in the province, following a 23-month gap since the last reported case in February 2024. As of now, 27 polio cases have been reported across various districts, including Chaman, Dera Bugti, Qila Abdullah, Jhal Magsi, Zhob, Qila Saifullah, Noshki, Loralai, Pishin, Kharan, Jaffarabad, and Chagai.

The seven-day-long campaign aims to combat the rise in polio cases and the presence of the poliovirus in environmental samples. A total of 11,600 vaccination teams will participate, including 9,326 mobile teams, 904 fixed vaccination sites, and 593 transit points, to ensure that children under five receive the necessary polio drops.

Speaking at the ceremony, CM Bugti urged parents to prioritise polio vaccination to protect their children from lifelong paralysis and disability. He said all available resources are being mobilised to ensure the complete eradication of polio and to make the province polio-free. Security measures have been strengthened to ensure maximum coverage during the campaign.

Administers drops to children at a ceremony

“The polio campaign is critical to prevent the spread of the virus and protect our children,” said CM Bugti. He emphasised that, in addition to the polio vaccine, the campaign would also ensure that children complete their routine immunisation against other dangerous diseases like measles and pneumonia.

Given the presence of the poliovirus in the environment, the chief minister urged parents to cooperate with vaccination teams, stressing that their participation is crucial to safeguard their children’s health and prevent further spread of the virus.

The initiative comes amid growing concerns over the virus’s persistence in the province. Balochistan’s anti-polio campaign seeks to address the environmental contamination in several districts and curb the spread of polio, which continues to be endemic to Pakistan and Afghanistan. Polio primarily affects children under five years of age, often leading to lifelong paralysis.

The launch ceremony was attended, among others, by the Balochistan Assembly Speaker Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, provincial ministers Bakht Muhammad Kakar, Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani and Mir Liaquat Ali Lehri, Chief Secretary Shakeel Qadir Khan, Additional Secretary Home Shahab Uddin, and Inam-ul-Haq, the coordinator of the Emergency Operations Center Balochistan.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2024