Islamabad: Pakistan will administer anti-polio vaccine to nearly one million children in the militancy-hit tribal regions during a three-day national immunization campaign starting Monday, said officials.
Janbaz Afridi, deputy director of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said 11 polio cases have been reported in FATA (Federally Administered Tribal Areas) this year, reported Xinhua.
Polio cases in tribal regions and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province have raised concern among local and foreign health officials despite a lot of money being spent on the immunization programme in Pakistan.
Officials said that nine polio cases have been detected in Khyber tribal region and one each from North Waziristan and South Waziristan Agencies.
The polio vaccination campaign was launched nearly two weeks after the Taliban group in North Waziristan announced ban on polio vaccination campaign to protest the US drone strikes.
Officials say that the Taliban ban will deprive thousands of children in North Waziristan, a main stronghold of the militants.
"We have completed all arrangements for successful holding of a three-day anti-polio campaign across the province and Federally Administered Tribal Areas," Afridi said.
PTI
