Three-day anti-polio campaign to kick-off in KP tomorrow

PESHAWAR: A three-day anti-polio campaign to kick-off tomorrow (Monday) in twenty-seven districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the relevant authorities in the federal and provincial governments to undertake effective immunization and awareness campaigns to check the incidence of polio.

He was chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad which took stock of polio incidence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country.

PM Imran Khan stated that polio eradication is the top-most priority of the government as it affects the future generation. He also expressed concerns over the recent spike in polio cases.

Read more: Bill Gates writes to PM, pledges continued support for polio eradication

PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication Babar Bin Atta had briefed the meeting about the report of International Monitoring Board for the year 2017-18 identifying loopholes in the strategy at that time which led to the recent spike of polio cases in some parts of the country, especially Bannu division.

He had also highlighted various measures being taken for perception management including engagement with social media platforms to counter anti-vaccine propaganda, involving mainstream media for a mass awareness campaign, establishment of round the clock call center.