ISLAMABAD, 03 November 2022:  The Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) campaign of 2022 reached more than 25 million children under the age of five with life-saving vaccines. The campaign was launched on 24 October, covering 83 districts including high-risk districts especially those districts susceptible to the Polio virus. This includes 21 districts of SNIDH, 14 of Punjab, 28 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 18 of Baluchistan and two of Islamabad.

“I appreciate our front-line Polio workers for reaching parents/caregivers and their work. However, despite significant efforts of the involved authorities, some families are still reluctant to get their children inoculated. They are putting their children and others at risk. We will continue using targeted and focused campaigns for reaching all children to stop the virus circulation once and for all,” said Abdul Qadir Patel, Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination.  

The Minister congratulated federal and provincial government leadership, frontline workers, parents, and caregivers, for playing an instrumental role in vaccinating eligible children during the campaign. He also acknowledged the sacrifice of the front-line workers in the fight against polio.

Around 216,800 trained and dedicated polio workers were engaged in the vaccination drive to inoculate children under five years old at their doorsteps. The “Sehat Tahhafuz” Helpline 1166 and 24/7 WhatsApp Helpline 0346-777-65-46 assisted parents and caregivers in reporting missed children and providing information.

It is pertinent to mention that the Polio virus has been identified in the sewage samples in 11 districts of Pakistan - Bannu, Peshawar, Swat, Wazir-S, Nowshera districts of KP province. Lahore, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Sialkot districts of Punjab province, Karachi Landhi of Sindh and CDA of Islamabad.

The next national campaign will be launched on 21 November across the country. Repeated polio vaccinations are imperative for building immunity among children and preventing possible lifelong paralysis in the context of active virus circulation in various parts of the country.

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Note for the Editor: Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by poliovirus mainly affecting children under the age of five years. It invades the nervous system and can cause paralysis or even death. While there is no cure for polio, vaccination is the most effective way to protect children from this crippling disease. Each time a child under the age of five is vaccinated, their protection against the virus is increased. Repeated immunisations have protected millions of children from polio, allowing almost all countries in the world to become polio-free.

Pakistan is one of the two polio-endemic countries in the world along with its neighbour Afghanistan.

For more information, visit our website - https://www.endpolio.com.pk

For further information, please contact:

Mr. Zulfiqar Babakhel, Media Manager, NEOC, 0345-9165937

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