Polio cases in Balochistan rise to 37

With two more polio cases reported each in Loralai and Pishin districts their number has risen to 37 in the province.

The toll of confirmed polio cases detected in various districts of the Balochistan during 2011 has risen to 37. Qilla Abdullah District has been declared the worst affected area where as many as 13 cases have so far been reported.

While giving the details of the polio cases detected in Balochistan, Dr Jawahir Habib Communication for development Officer Polio said that as many as 13 children were victimized by the crippling disease of polio in Qila Abdullah district, 9 in Pishin, 5 in Quetta, 3 each in Noshki and Khuzdar and one each in Kohlu, Dera Bugti, Kalat and Lorali during the last couple of months.

"The parents in rural areas of the province are either reluctant or ignorant to immunize their children against the disease which has increased the number of polio cases in parts of Balochistan, she lamented.

When contacted, the Provincial Manager of Expanded Program on immunization (EPI) Dr Yousaf Bizinjo said that Balochistan government was keen to eradicate the menace of polio from the province.

"High level meetings chaired by the CM Balochistan Nawab Mohammad Aslam Raisani and Chief Secretary Ahmed Baksh Lehir have taken serious notice of the issue and directed the officials to make necessary arrangements for the campaign launched today. "Teams have been constituted to administer Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to 5 lakh 24 thousands children below the age of five in Balochistan" he said adding that health department in collaboration with the district administration, UNICEF and World Health Organisation had made full arrangements to make the three-day campaign a success. He urged the parents to immunize their children against polio as it is the only preventive measure to save children from the attack of crippling disease.

"The polio teams will launch door to door activity in the 13 districts of the province", he said, adding, the political parties including PML-N, PPP, Pashtunkhwa Milia Awami Party, ANP and JUI have also assured their cooperation and their representatives will also visit each and every house in their respective localities to administer oral drops to the children. "Provincial government had devised a concerted strategy to supervise the work of polio teams and to ensure that the team members had access to each house, he noted. Dr Bijinjo also called for the role of print and electronic media to get maximum results from the drive.

"Taking notice of the refusal of the parents, Balochistan government has issued directives to lodge FIR against them, he noted. He stressed that an awareness campaign through the religious scholars, tribal notables and other opinion makers should be started to educate public about importance of vaccination of children.