Pakistani PM announces anti-polio campaign targeting most vulnerable districts

ISLAMABAD - Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced that an anti-polio campaign was launched in Pakistan on Monday targeting 25 most vulnerable districts across the Asian country.

"Polio is a deadly virus that threatens not just life but also the future of our children," the prime minister said on Twitter.

The campaign is to administer polio vaccines to children aged up to 5 years, the country's state media reported.

In the eastern Punjab province, 39,000 health workers are taking part in the week-long campaign expected to benefit over 5 million children in seven districts.

In the southern Sindh province, more than 30,000 health workers will administer anti-polio vaccines to over 3.3 million children in the high-risk areas.

In the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, over 11,000 teams of health workers will vaccinate 2.6 million children with anti-polio drops during a five-day campaign.

Likewise, in the southwestern Balochistan province, 4,900 teams of health workers will administer anti-polio vaccines to 1.2 million children in 18 districts of the province.

"It is regrettable that we have not fully eliminated it so far. Let us make it a success and defeat polio once for all," Sharif said.