QUETTA(National Times)- Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Balochistan Coordinator Inam-ul-Haq has said that a seven-day anti-polio vaccination campaign would begin on Monday (May 18) across 25 districts of the province, targeting 1.99 million children under the age of five.

He said the campaign is being launched after the poliovirus was detected in environmental samples collected from eight different sites, indicating that the threat of transmission still persists in the province.

He clarified that the virus detected in Balochistan’s environmental samples did not originate within the province but had spread from neighbouring provinces and Afghanistan. Health authorities stressed that timely vaccination remains the most effective measure to protect children from the crippling disease.

The vaccination drive will be carried out in Barkhan, Barshore, Chaman, Dera Bugti, Upper Dera Bugti, Duki, Hub, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Qila Abdullah, Kachhi, Kalat, Qila Saifullah, Loralai, Mastung, Mulakhel, Noshki, Nasirabad, Pishin, Quetta, Sherani, Sibi, Sohbatpur, Usta Mohammad, and Zhob.

A total of 7,699 polio teams will be deployed across the 25 districts to ensure maximum coverage, including 479 fixed teams and 335 transit teams.