Number of children missing polio drops declines in Nangarhar

JALALABAD (Pajhwok): The number of children previously missed out on polio vaccination has decreased in eastern Nangarhar province, the public health director said on Monday.

Dr. Najibullah Kamal was talking a day after a three-day nationwide anti-polio campaign was launched.

The campaign was also launched in Jalalabad, the provincial capital and districts on Monday, involving 4500 workers and volunteers to vaccinate 700,000 children under the age of five years.

Deputy Governor Mohammad Alam Ishaqzai during the campaign’s launch ceremony urged religious scholars, tribal leaders and family members to cooperate with polio workers in vaccinating the children against the crippling disease.

Kamawal said children under five years of age would receive anti-polio drops and under six months would receive Vitamin-A drops during the three day drive.

He said about 700,000 children would be vaccinated by 4500 workers and volunteers. No positive polio case had been recorded in the province so far, but new cases were feared about the return of refugees.

The public health director expressed satisfaction with the expanded coverage of the vaccination campaign in Nangarhar province.

However, the drive would not be implemented in Pankzio area of Pachiragam, Loyi Payeen of Haska Mena district, Awghaz and Nazian district, depriving at least 10,000 children of the vaccine in these areas.

However, Kamawal said earlier up to 50,000 children were missed out in previous rounds, but their number had reduced to 10,000.

Six positive cases have been recorded in Afghanistan mostly in the east and south since the beginning of 2017.

sa/ma