Over 2.1 mn children in northwest Pakistan to be administered polio vaccine in three-day campaign

Over 2.1 million children under five will be administered polio vaccine in a three-day campaign to be launched from January 13 in northwest Pakistan.

Pakistan is one of the three countries, along with Afghanistan and Nigeria, where polio is still endemic.

Launched by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government, the campaign will be conducted in the eight districts of Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Swabi, Mohmand, Malakand, Swat and Buner, officials said.

A total of 7,800 immunisation teams and 1,790 area in-charges will be deployed to monitor and ensure quality of the campaign, which aims at vaccinating 2.14 million children during the three days.

Pakistan has been fighting to combat polio since 1994. However, attempts to eradicate the crippling disease have been seriously hampered by deadly targeting of vaccination teams in recent years by militants, who oppose the drives, claiming that the polio drops cause infertility.

Attacks on immunisation teams have claimed 68 lives since December 2012.