Countrywide anti-polio campaign begins today

A countrywide campaign to administer anti-polio drops to children under five years of age started on Monday.

National Coordinator of Polio Eradication Programme Dr Rana Safdar told Radio Pakistan Islamabad that the anti-polio drive will target 39 million children in all four provinces, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.

As many as 42,307 mobile teams will administer the polio vaccine to children, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid said.

The provincial health minister said that strict action will be taken against the officers who show negligence during the drive.

A comprehensive awareness campaign had already been started throughout Punjab, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad.

Strict instructions have been issued that no child under five years of age should be left without administering polio vaccine during the campaign.