Pakistan starts new polio vaccination drive as virus detected in 16 district samples

Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday started its third nationwide polio campaign to vaccinate 45 million children against the crippling disease as the virus was detected in the environmental samples from 16 districts.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif inaugurated the campaign during a ceremony at the Prime Minister's House on World Polio Day last week, the Dawn newspaper reported. He also administered polio drops to children there.

The week-long vaccination campaign, which will run till November 3, aims to tackle the alarming spread of polio in the country, which has reported 41 cases this year.

During the drive, special teams of health departments will go door to door to inoculate more than 45 million children.

Children will also be given Vitamin-A supplements during the campaign for additional immunity, according to the report.

The launch coincided with the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradic­a­tion at the National Institute of Health confirming the detection of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in sewage samples from 16 districts, the report said.

So far, 21 polio cases have been reported from Balochistan, 12 from Sindh, six from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony last week, Prime Minister Sharif underscored the importance of the campaign to prevent the disease's further spread as he stressed the urgency of the country's battle against the recent resurgence of wild poliovirus.

“Polio has re-emerged in Pakistan, reminding us of our collective responsibility to overcome this threat. Together, we must fight this battle with unity and determination until we secure a polio-free Pakistan,” Geo News quoted Sharif as saying.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Ayesha Raza Farooq said health workers “will reach every corner of Pakistan” to vaccinate the children and secure a “healthier future" for them.

“Polio has no cure, but it can be prevented with this readily available vaccine. With the threat at an all-time high, we must act as one nation to keep our children safe through vaccination,” said Anwarul Haq, the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication coordinator.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio remains endemic, according to the World Health Organisation.