In a move to step its fight against polio and other fatal diseases, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is set to pay to Rs1000 to the parents of new born children who complete the 15 dose immunization course.

According to a story published in the Guardian, around 2 million children the most far-flung and backward areas of the province will benefit from the said scheme.

The scheme is one of the first in the country where monetary incentive is given to encourage people to come forward and vaccinate their children.

“Parents will be entitled to claim 1,000 rupees (almost £6) for each newborn child who completes a 15-month programme of vaccinations that will protect them against a number of diseases including measles, hepatitis and polio,” the story said.

Children in the militancy hit KP province are not only victims of the vicious diseases but also cultural and religious attitudes, with most elders ‘deeply suspicious’ of the immunization programme.

Polio persists in Pakistan with militant groups seeing vaccination campaigns as a cover for espionage.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pakistan recorded 91 cases of polio last year, up from 58 in 2012.

WHO has warned that Peshawar is the world's “largest reservoir” of polio.