Three-day polio eradication drive concludes.

ISLAMABAD, July 22, 2009 (Balochistan Times) -- A three-day polio eradication campaign concluded on Wednesday during which millions of children under five years of age were vaccinated anti-polio drops. According to an official of Expanded Programme on Immunization, total 87,000 vaccination teams were formed to vaccinate the children. Similarly, 7922 area supervisors and 1296 zonal supervisors were also participated in the drive while the campaign activities were monitored by more than 500 national monitors. The ministry of Health had fixed the target to vaccinate 33.9 million children across the country however it had to suspended the campaign in Sindh due to recent heavy rains and flood. He said state media and private channels motivated the parents to vaccinate their children during the polio eradication campaign and a national polio control cell was also set up. He added control cell received calls from the parents of children missed by polio teams through a toll-free number and these calls were immediately responded and local health teams were dispatched to the missed areas within hour. He said besides government, several private sector organizations also extended their support to immunize the maximum number of children including mobile phone companies by motivating parents through their message service. He said National Highway and Motorway Police supported the campaign by administering children at 58 toll plazas in the country while National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) provided its vans for mobile teams. He said UN agencies, partners, donor governments and foundations provided all possible assistance to ensure that the necessary resources are available to ensure making Pakistan polio free. The poliovirus is extremely contagious and can travel silently from village to village and country to country, through un-immunized children. The first national polio immunization campaign was held in 1994. It was estimated that prior to that campaign as many 15 to 20 thousand children per year were being crippled by this disease in Pakistan alone.

(THROUGH ASIA PULSE)