“Polio Eradication Drive Commences in Nine Balochistan Districts
Naveed Babar Dar
Lahore: An initiative to eliminate the poliovirus from Balochistan has been launched through an anti-polio campaign spanning nine districts in the province.
Health Secretary of Balochistan, Saleh Muhammad Nasar, announced the initiation of a seven-day anti-polio campaign covering 37 union councils in the province. Syed Zahid Shah, Coordinator of the Emergency Operation Center Balochistan, was present during the announcement.
Nasar highlighted that the comprehensive campaign involves 575 teams and aims to vaccinate children in 37 union councils across nine districts. He mentioned that no polio cases have been reported since January 2021, emphasizing the collective effort to eliminate the virus once and for all.
Responding to a question, Nasar expressed the hope that Balochistan would be internationally recognized as ‘polio-free’ given the absence of reported cases for over two years. However, he acknowledged the challenge posed by the presence of the poliovirus in other provinces of Pakistan and in Afghanistan.
Nasar urged parents to cooperate with the polio teams to enhance the campaign’s effectiveness. He particularly highlighted the significance of focusing on the Quetta block, including Pishin, Chaman, and Killa Abdullah districts, which have been vulnerable to the virus in recent years.
The targeted campaign will be conducted in various union councils across districts such as Panchpai, Killa Saifullah, Chaman, Killa Abdullah, Chaghi, Loralai, Noshki, and Zhob.
Security measures have been reinforced to ensure the safety of the teams, involving Balochistan Levies, Police, and Frontier Corps (FC) personnel. The security personnel will remain vigilant to prevent any untoward incidents.
Notably, polio teams in the region have faced continuous attacks by unidentified individuals seeking to disrupt peace in the province.”
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