国际英语新闻:Pakistan to administer anti-polio drops to one million children in tribal regions

ISLAMABAD, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan will administer anti-polio vaccine to nearly one million children in the militancy-hit tribal regions during a three-day national immunization campaign starting from Monday, said officials.

Dr Janbaz Afridi, Deputy Director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said 11 polio cases have been reported in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) this year.

Polio cases in tribal regions and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province ( KPK) have raised concern among local and foreign health officials despite spending a lot of money on the immunization programme in Pakistan.

Officials said that nine polio cases have been detected in Khyber tribal region and one each from North Waziristan and South Waziristan Agencies.

The polio vaccination campaign is launched nearly two weeks after the Taliban group in North Waziristan announced ban on polio vaccination campaign to protest against the U.S. drone strikes.

Officials say that the Taliban ban will deprive thousands of children in North Waziristan, a main stronghold of the militants.

"We have completed all arrangements for successful holding of a three-day anti-polio campaign across the province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas," Afridi said.

He said 5.1 million children aged under five years would be administered Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while about one million kids would get the same facility in FATA. He said four polio cases were detected in KPK.

To achieve the target, the official said 17,000 teams for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 3,000 for FATA have been formed that will reach door to door and house to house to make Pakistan polio-free country.

Poor law and order problem and refusal of parents had deprived many children of polio drops in different parts of the province and tribal areas.

But now officials say there is significantly decrease in refusal cases owing to effective advocacy campaigns and holding of vigorous immunisation drives. After India obtained polio-free status, the World Health Organisation and other donors' agencies are giving top focus now on three endemic countries -- Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria to eradicate this disease completely.

Dr Janbaz held out an appeal to parents to vaccinate their children against polio and protect them from permanent disability and urged media and religious scholars to support the national cause and play its constructive role in raising awareness among the masses about polio that could be protected merely by administering two drops to their children.

The July 16-18 immunization campaign will also be conducted in other parts of the country to administer polio vaccination to millions of children under five years of age, said officials.