ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Ministry of Health has chalked out a new polio eradication strategy, expanding vaccination to children up to the age of 15, local media reported.
The initiative, going to start in November, will initially be rolled out in Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta.
New strategy for polio eradication
Local media quoted Captain (retd) Anwarul Haq, the coordinator of the Polio Eradication Program, as having said that the decision to expand the age bracket was made on the recommendation of the Polio Eradication Technical Advisory Group.
Previously, children only under five were vaccinated, but persistent traces of the virus in Lahore and Karachi prompted the need for a broader approach.
Haq said the vaccination drive will target four million children in Karachi and 1.5 million children in Lahore, making it one of the largest campaigns in recent years.
According to local media report, an injection-based campaign will also be launched in Quetta, ensuring wider coverage in high-risk areas.
In a clear setback to the efforts to eradicate polio in the country, international funding was slashed by up to 20 percent with the United States reducing its contributions to global health organisations. The shortfall forced Pakistan’s health authorities to revise vaccination campaigns and push for a one-year deadline to wipe out the virus.
In view of the funding cut, the Health Ministry has chalked out a new strategy. From next year, polio campaigns will be limited to three days instead of five, and the number of district and tehsil-level staff will also be reduced.
Meanwhile, the country’s total number of polio cases reported in the current year has climbed to 27. According to the National Emergency Operation Center (NEOC), Sindh has reported seventh case of the year, while Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remains the hardest-hit province with 18. Punjab and Gilgit-Baltistan have each recorded one case.
