QUETTA: After two postponements, the seven-day polio vaccination campaign is set to commence in Balochistan on Monday. The campaign aims to administer polio drops to over 2.6 million children under the age of five across the province.
According to Inamul Haq, the coordinator of the Balochistan Emergency Operations Centre, the vaccination drive will cover 36 districts of the province. It is part of a nationwide initiative to eradicate polio, running simultaneously in all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir from December 16 to 22.
Delays Caused by Medical Workers’ Protest
The campaign in Balochistan faced delays due to protests by the Grand Health Alliance, whose members demanded that their grievances be addressed before resuming work. The protesting medical workers had also refused to participate in the vaccination drive, causing significant setbacks.
Two days ago, the Balochistan High Court took action to resolve the impasse. A two-member bench ordered the secretary and director general of the health department to issue show-cause notices to the protesting workers for failing to comply with an earlier court directive to end the strike.
The vaccination campaign’s resumption is a critical step in ensuring the health and safety of millions of children in Balochistan, as Pakistan remains one of the few countries still grappling with polio.
