Peshawar: More than four million children under the age of five years were administered polio drops in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, as part of a campaign against the crippling disease in the Taliban-stronghold.
During the first round of “Sehat Ka Ittehad” programme launched in the province and adjacent tribal areas, almost 90 per cent of the set target was achieved, officials said.
Deputy Commissioners and District Health officers have been assigned special task to achieve the remaining 10 per cent in the next couple of days.
The programme was launched on February 16 and carried out till February 18 in several parts of the region, including provincial capital Peshawar, Abbottabad, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and Mansehra.
The year 2014 has been the toughest year for Pakistan's anti-polio programme as the number of confirmed cases reached 297, the highest in the country since 1999.
During the past six months, Pakistan recorded the highest number of polio cases followed by Afghanistan and Nigeria.
Pakistan has come under severe international criticism for doing little to eradicate the virus which is a threat to the world.
Security is the main reason for the spread of polio virus as vaccination camps cannot be organised in tribal areas controlled by the Taliban.
Over 60 polio workers or police guarding them have been killed in the country in the last two years.
The second round of anti-polio campaign will commence from the March 2.
Special Health camps will be set up at various places in twelve districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, three tribal agencies and two frontier regions.
