Anti-polio drive to begin in 13 Balochistan districts

A targeted anti-polio vaccination campaign will begin on Monday across 62 high-risk union councils in 13 districts of Balochistan as

QUETTA: A targeted anti-polio vaccination campaign will begin on Monday across 62 high-risk union councils in 13 districts of Balochistan as health authorities intensify efforts to stop the spread of the poliovirus and protect children from lifelong disability.

According to the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), the campaign will cover 209,557 children under the age of five. Trained vaccination teams will visit homes and designated centres to administer oral polio vaccine free of charge.

Officials said 862 mobile vaccination teams have been deployed to conduct the campaign. In addition, 61 fixed vaccination centres and 72 transit vaccination points have been established to ensure that children travelling with their families or living in hard-to-reach areas are not missed.

The EOC said the campaign is focused on high-risk union councils where the threat of poliovirus transmission remains significant. Health authorities noted that the virus continues to circulate in some parts of the province, making regular vaccination campaigns essential to prevent new infections.

Officials stressed that polio is an incurable disease that can cause permanent paralysis, but it is completely preventable through timely vaccination. They urged parents to cooperate with vaccination teams and ensure that every eligible child receives polio drops during the campaign.

The EOC warned that every child who remains unvaccinated increases the risk of virus transmission within the community. Officials said even a small number of missed children can allow the virus to continue circulating and endanger other children.

The campaign will be carried out in Barkhan, Dukki, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Loralai, Qila Saifullah, Nasirabad, Sherani, Sohbatpur, Usta Muhammad, Zhob, Ziarat and Mastung. Special arrangements have been made in these districts to achieve maximum vaccination coverage.

Health authorities said supervisors and monitoring teams will oversee the campaign to ensure transparency, improve performance and address any operational challenges. Officials added that vaccination teams have been instructed to reach every household in the targeted areas.