Islamabad, January 19, 2015 - Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, Ayesha Raza Farooq launched the national polio campaign at the Directorate of Health Services, Islamabad. She administered polio drops to children and visited peripheral areas of Islamabad to monitor the campaign. A detailed briefing on arrangements for conduct of polio campaign was given by Dr. Hassan Orooj, Director Health Services, Islamabad. Addressing the participants, PM’s Polio Focal Person shared that the National Campaign is being conducted in phases all over the country. Punjab has already completed the campaign in all 36 districts from 12 - 14 January where more than 18 Million children under five years of age were vaccinated. She also briefed the participants that Peshawar had conducted one day campaign yesterday by vaccinating 754,383 children while the remaining districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are conducting campaign from today with target of 5.3 million children to be vaccinated. Snow bound areas of Mansehra, Chitral and Battagram are not included in the campaign while Bannu could not start the campaign today due to shortage of field staff.
She also apprised the participants that due to security situation, Karachi has decided to carry out the campaign in three phases, first phase will be conducted from 19 - 22 January in East, West and Malir, Phase 2 will be conducted from 23 - 26 January in Korangi, Central and South, and Phase 3 will be organized from 24 - 27 January in 11 super high risk UCs of Gadap, Baldia, SITE, Landhi, Orangi, Bin Qasim, Liaquatabad and Korangi. The interior Sindh has conducted the campaign as per plan. The overall target of Sindh is 8, 063, 700 children under five.
While discussing the campaign situation in Balochistan, PM’s Polio Focal Person apprised that Balochistan is moving ahead with the campaign with the target of 2,368,124 children under five as per plan. Districts including Zhob, Sherani, Loralai, Musa Khel and Killa Saifullah postponed the campaigns due to security concerns. AJK, GB and FATA are conducting campaign as per plan except 2 UCs of Skardu due to snow fall.
Highlighting major breakthrough of the Polio Program during the year 2014, Ayesha Raza Farooq shared that door to door campaigns resumed in North Waziristan after over 2 years whereas in South Waziristan campaigns have resumed through the Hujra strategy. In line with decision take by Cabinet Committee on Immunization the Ministry of Interior has been assigned the task of coordinating security of polio teams with the Province.
Earlier, Prime Minister’s Focal Person was informed by Director Health Services, about the measures taken to ensure a smooth and successful campaign in Islamabad with the target of 261, 261 children under 5 to be vaccinated against polio.
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