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PM inaugurates national anti-polio campaign

PM inaugurates national anti-polio campaign
June 7, 2021

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan inaugurated the National Anti-Polio drive here on Monday with a goal to rid the country of crippling disease on Monday.

The prime minister administered the drops of anti-polio vaccine to children aging below five years, at his Office. The campaign will cover 124 districts of Pakistan.

The federal government has chalked out a comprehensive national emergency programme against polio, which is being carried out across the country in joint collaboration with the provinces.

Due to the efforts of the present government, only one case of polio has been reported in last one year. However, the campaign has been launched at larger scale to ensure access to all children in the country.

The five-day anti-polio campaign started in 124 districts of the country on Monday.

Anti-Polio Program Coordinator Dr Shahzad Baig said that over 33,000,000 children up to five years are being vaccinated and 223,000 frontline workers are participating in the drive.

He said that 20 districts of Punjab, 30 districts of Sindh, 33 districts of Balochistan and 35 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are included in the campaign going on under the SOPs.

The Anti-Polio Program coordinator said that the campaign was also underway in Islamabad and two districts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the drive would enhance immunity of children.

He appealed to the people to cooperate with the frontline workers to make the campaign successful. He said that parents should administer the vaccine to the children to protect from disability. 

Dr Shahzad Baig said that it was mandatory to administer anti-polio vaccine to children for their better future.