KHAR: A three-day anti-polio campaign was launched during a special ceremony here on Monday amid tight security.

Under the campaign, more than 223,000 children under the age of five will be vaccinated against polio across Bajaur Agency.

The campaign launching ceremony took place at the Agency Headquarters Hospital, where officials of the health department, local administration, WHO, tribal elders and religious and political leaders were in attendance.

Addressing the ceremony, Agency Surgeon Dr Zakir Hussain said the health department was adopting all possible ways and means to eliminate polio from the region. He said the department in collaboration with local administration stepped up anti-polio efforts as the disease had become a serious threat to the health of children.

The agency surgeon urged local elders, religious leaders and social workers to continue supporting the health department by highlighting the importance of vaccination and mobilising people to make the anti-polio campaign a success.

He said 223,676 children under the age of five years would be given anti-polio vaccine across the agency.

Dr Zakir Hussain said 630 mobile, fixed and transit teams consisting of over 14, 00 health workers, schoolteachers, volunteers, health department officials and World Health Organisation representatives took part in the activities.

Referring to the security of anti-polio workers during the campaign, he said the administration and security forces had made extraordinary arrangements for the protection of vaccinators across the agency. The agency surgeon said that law and order situation in almost areas of the agency was favourable for the campaign and that there was no threat to health teams in any area of the region. — Correspondent

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2015

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