Pakistan begins another vaccination campaign after worrying surge in polio cases

The run is the 3rd this twelvemonth and volition proceed until Sunday “in effect to the alarming summation successful polio cases,” said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the premier minister’s advisor for the polio eradication programme.

“We are re-energised successful our efforts to combat polio,” she said successful a statement.

During the door-to-door campaign, children younger than 5 volition beryllium vaccinated and fixed drops of Vitamin A supplements to heighten their immunity.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif precocious met with front-line wellness workers, urging them to guarantee nary kid was near unvaccinated by going door-to-door.

Anwarul Haq, who is the coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Centre for Polio Eradication, besides urged parents to afloat cooperate with polio workers. “Polio has nary cure, but it tin beryllium prevented with this readily disposable vaccine,” helium said.

Pakistan has recorded 41 cases crossed 71 districts truthful acold this year, Farooq said. Most were reported from southwestern Balochistan and confederate Sindh province, pursuing by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa state and eastbound Punjab province.

The surge successful cases successful caller locations is worrying authorities since erstwhile cases were from the restive northwest bordering Afghanistan, wherever the Taliban authorities successful September abruptly stopped a door-to-door vaccination campaign.

Authorities successful Pakistan accidental the Afghan Taliban’s caller determination to halt door-to-door anti-polio run volition person repercussions beyond the Afghan border, arsenic radical from some sides often question to each other’s country. The World Health Organisation has confirmed 18 polio cases successful Afghanistan this year.

Pakistan and Afghanistan are the lone 2 countries successful the satellite wherever the dispersed of polio has ne'er been stopped. It is 1 of the world’s astir infectious diseases, truthful it continues to dispersed anyplace radical are not afloat vaccinated. In terrible cases, polio tin origin imperishable paralysis and death.