Anti-polio drive begins in Sindh, Punjab

KARACHI: A seven-day anti-polio campaign kicked-off in 41 districts of Sindh and 31 districts of Punjab here on Saturday.

According to the Sindh Provincial Health Department, more than nine million children below the age of five will be administered anti-polio drops during the campaign.

Meanwhile in Punjab, more than 17 million children below the age of five will be administered anti-polio drops.

The polio eradication campaign will begin Balochistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir from August 17th.

The campaign is being carried out following the successful resumption of polio activities in July 2020 after a four-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

To build immunity amongst susceptible children, vaccinators will go door-to-door during this campaign to administer the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to children under the age of five, as well as Vitamin A supplements to children who are between 6-59 months of age.

The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has provided vaccinators with face masks and hand sanitizers for additional protection.

Earlier today, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates, in a telephonic conversation, discussed Pakistan’s Covid-19 response and resumption of polio eradication campaign.

Both also discussed the safe start of polio eradication campaign and efforts needed for this purpose, said the ISPR.