MUZAFFARABAD, March 4: Dozens of people from all walks of life organized a walk here on Monday in favour of the polio vaccination campaign which starts on Tuesday.

The participants of the walk included lady health workers, paramedics, NGOs, traders. It started from the office of the district health officer and terminated at the State Guest House near the Old Civil Secretariat.

The walk was led by Dr Sardar Mahmood Ahmed Khan, provincial programme manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). Most of the participants were carrying placards highlighting the importance of polio vaccination.

Dr Mahmood later told reporters that during the 3-day campaign, polio drops would be administered to almost 564,000 children at 286 fixed and 84 temporary vaccination points established in the length and breadth of Azad Kashmir. He said 1,627 mobile teams had been constituted for the purpose.

Teams would also be deputed at entry/exit points of Azad Kashmir, so that children under five on board any vehicle could also be administered the drops, he added.

However, in response to a question he said that Neelum and Leepa valleys in district Muzaffarabad had been excluded from the campaign on account of the harsh climatic conditions there and the unrelenting shelling by Indian troops from across the Line of Control.