In two phases, Pakistan will immunise about 40 million children under the age of five during a two-week anti-polio vaccine campaign that began on Monday.
After the nation reported nearly 20 instances of the contagious virus in the northwest region bordering Afghanistan months earlier, the Taliban threats and attacks on polio workers and security officials prompted the first national vaccine campaign of 2023.
The initiative to immunise the targeted children at their doorstep is believed to involve more than 1 lac skilled and committed health personnel.
Abdul Qadir Patel, Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations, and Coordination, stated in a statement that it is essential to eradicate the poliovirus in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the country to be polio-free.
According to Patel, the government has made all-out efforts to contain the poliovirus to only one small area of the country, and the South Asian country is now on the verge of achieving its goal of being polio-free.
The Coordinator of the National Emergency Operation Center emphasised the goal of ensuring that all children receive vaccinations on time and often. In order to defend the rest of the area, he recommended initially concentrating on high-risk areas.
