KARACHI, March 4: All arrangements have been finalized across the province to immunize an estimated number of 8.5 million children, up to the age of five years, against Polio under the national immunization days commencing from Tuesday.

Dr Shamsunisa Ansari, provincial director of the Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), told APP here on Monday that an intensive strategy was being adopted during the next six days to achieve the target of zero- level polio prevalence in the province by the end of this year.

The three-pronged strategy, she said, was being implemented as a consequence to the fact that no fresh case of polio had been reported from any part of the province since November, while a 67 per cent decline was registered in the province-wide disease prevalence from 1998 to 2001.

Against 305 polio cases in 1998, 28 were recorded in 2001, she elaborated.

Giving details of the modified strategy for the forthcoming national immunization days, which, she said, had been extended by Sindh health minister up to March 10, the EPI director said special care was being taken of the three identified polio reservoirs, including Karachi, Hyderabad and Jacobabad.

“Since these were the only districts where polio cases had been reported till November last, special care is being taken to ensure maximum immunization in the particular pockets,” she added. In Karachi, she said, Pakistan-born Afghan children residing in the refugee camps were to be particularly immunized for which services of Persian and Pushto speaking women vaccinators had been hired to overcome any communication gap.

About 30,000 to 35,000 children are currently residing in the Afghan camps located in the peripheral areas of the city. The total population of these Afghans is said to be around two hundred thousands.

In Hyderabad, children belonging to nomad clans will be compulsorily vaccinated even if they were seen roaming around, besides those who might be temporarily settled in any part of the district.

Parts of Jacobabad district, bordering Balochistan, are to be the third area of importance. The belt witnessed to have considerable presence of Baloch tribes, including children frequently moving in and out.

To make the exercise more meaningful, taluka-wise monitors are being appointed for the six-day activity in the high risk districts of Karachi, Hyderabad and Jacobabad, besides district-wide monitors in the province.

The EPI-Sindh chief said 18,000 vaccinators had been assigned for a door-to-door vaccination drive, while 2006 fixed centres would be operating in different parts of the province.

Following the completion of the immunization days on March 10, an intensification campaign for polio eradication would be launched, Dr Ansari added.

Meanwhile, Sindh Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafiz Sheikh inaugurated a three-day polio eradication campaign at Dow Medical College on Monday.

Referring to the distinction of the province for being declared the model province of Pakistan with regard to polio elimination drive, he praised the efforts of Health Minister Ahsan Ahmad and other officials of the Health Department for accomplishing the objective.

Terming polio eradication as a national objective he hoped that all the concerned officials would remain vigilant till the desired results are achieved.

He underscored the role of print media in informing the masses about the significance of the drive so that a maximum number of children could be immunized.—APP/PPI