Balochistan govt postpones another anti-polio drive amid floods

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has once again postponed an anti-polio drive in the province amid heavy rainfall and floods that have resulted in deaths, loss of infrastructures and displacement of millions of people.

According to provincial health department, the immunization drive was planned from September 05 in the province, however, it has now been postponed for the second time owing to heavy monsoon rainfall and floods.

“The new date for the drive will be announced soon,” it said. The polio drive was postponed last time on August 29 in the province.

It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Health launched a week-long national anti-polio campaign across the country on August 22.

In Punjab, 22 million children were to be administered anti-polio vaccines during the campaign. Meanwhile, Sindh Health Department said nine million children would receive anti-polio drops in the province.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 7.2 million children were planned to be administered anti-polio drops. More than twenty-five thousand teams had to take part in the campaign.

However, heavy monsoon rainfall which has resulted into floods across the country have devastated the landscape in all four provinces with more than 1,000 people being killed and millions of others displaced from their homes besides heavy losses to infrastructure.