MANSEHRA, Nov 5: Due to the Afghan DPs influx in the NWFP, the ratio of polio cases in the province is equal to that of the other three put together.

This was revealed by the district coordinator officer of EPI Dr Qamer Zaman here on Monday in a press conference.

Executive district health officer, Dr Juma Khan, Assistant executive health officer, Dr Niaz and Dr Jawed also spoke at the press conference.

They said that in the current year around 46 cases of polio were detected in the country, of which 25 were in the NWFP. They said that this high rate of polio in the NWFP was due to the influx of DPs from Afghanistan and added that their children were not administered polio drops in Afghanistan.

They said that the polio eradication campaign will be launched in the district on Tuesday (today) and about 230,635 children up to the age of five would be administered polio drops.

They said that to achieve the target around 553 teams have been constituted.

And around 28,000 children of the tribal belt of Kala Dakha were administered the polio vaccine during the four days of the campaign which began on Nov 1.

The children of Afghan DPs will be given polio drops in their camps situated at various places in the district.

Responding to a question, Dr Niaz Said said that if the influx of the DPs continued in the NWFP the eradication of this disease will not be possible even in the Year 2002.