Anti-polio campaign to begin in Sindh tomorrow despite Covid lockdown

KARACHI: Like the rest of Pakistan, the Emergency Operation Centre for polio in Sindh will launch a seven-day anti-polio campaign across the province from August 2 despite the Covid-19 lockdown, ARY News reported on Sunday.

In this special polio campaign, a total of 7.4 million children will be vaccinated against poliovirus in 22 districts of the province.

The campaign will be conducted whilst following strict WHO-recommended COVID prevention protocols including the use of face masks by health workers and maintaining a safe distance from children while administering the drops.

The federal government last week had announced to launch a nationwide five-day polio immunization drive from August 02 to inoculate 23 million children against the crippling disease.

The polio drive will begin on August 02 and will culminate on August 06 as it included three days of routine immunization and two days for the catch-up areas to immunize the remaining children.

“The drive will be carried out in 67 districts of the country including 22 in Punjab, 22 in Sindh, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 16 districts in Balochistan,” they said adding that 180,000 vaccinators will inoculate 23 million children in the country.

It is pertinent to mention here that no polio case was reported in the province during 2021 so far. Pakistan is the second country after Afghanistan, where polio cases are still being reported.

Prime Minister Imran Khan on June 24 expressed the hope that Pakistan will become polio-free the next year.

Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Khan said only one case of the crippling disease had been reported this year so far. “InshaAllah we will eradicate polio completely in coming yr,” he said.