Thursday, February 12, 2026
ADVT 
International

Anti-Polio Drive Suspended In Pakistan For Security Reasons

Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 May, 2015 11:34 AM
    An anti-polio drive was suspended on Thursday in Pakistan's Quetta city due to authorities' failure to provide adequate security to polio administration teams, media reports said.
     
    A source in the the Balochistan health department said the anti-polio drive would be re-launched on Friday after appropriate security was provided by the administration, Dawn reported.
     
    "There are polio samples in the environment of Quetta ... We fear (there may be) polio cases in Quetta," a source said.
     
    Polio teams have been attacked in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan in the past.
     
    In November 2014, gunmen attacked an anti-polio team in Quetta's Eastern Bypass area and killed four polio workers, including three women volunteers.
     
    The Balochistan health department -- with the support of Unicef and other organisations -- aims to administer polio drops to more than 400,000 children below the age of five years in Quetta during the ongoing campaign.
     
    The campaign, during its first phase, was launched in 18 union councils on Wednesday morning.
     
    "The second phase will be launched on May 25 in different parts of Quetta," said campaign Emergency Centre Coordinator Saifur Rehman in a statement.
     
    During 2015, three polio cases have been reported from Balochistan's Killa Abdullah, Loralai and Quetta areas.
     
    Currently, a polio campaign is underway in Zhob, Sherani, Lasbella and four other districts of the province.
     
    The provincial government has decided to provide anti-polio drops to 1.2 million children in these districts.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    More Hong Kong students likely to join hunger strike

    More Hong Kong students likely to join hunger strike
    More students in Hong Kong who have been protesting for more than two months for free elections in 2017 are contemplating joining a hunger strike...

    More Hong Kong students likely to join hunger strike

    Many women desperate to be IS fighters' jihadi brides: Study

    Many women desperate to be IS fighters' jihadi brides: Study
    The Islamic State (IS) fighters in Syria may be demonised by the world community for their terrorist activities but there are those who look up to them....

    Many women desperate to be IS fighters' jihadi brides: Study

    India-US partnership poised for the next level: India envoy nominee

    India-US partnership poised for the next level: India envoy nominee
    Richard Rahul Verma, the first Indian-American to be nominated as the US Ambassador to India, believes there is renewed enthusiasm on both sides...

    India-US partnership poised for the next level: India envoy nominee

    Record gun sales in US on Black Friday

    Record gun sales in US on Black Friday
    Gun sales in the US on Black Friday this year set a new record for that day, during which the FBI carried out 175,000 background checks, a media report said Tuesday....

    Record gun sales in US on Black Friday

    Children drugged, tortured at Indian ashram in Australia

    Children drugged, tortured at Indian ashram in Australia
    A public hearing here has revealed shocking details of cases of sex abuse in Australia by an Indian yoga guru, who died around 17 years...

    Children drugged, tortured at Indian ashram in Australia

    Bin Laden family-owned group to build Africa's highest tower

    Bin Laden family-owned group to build Africa's highest tower
     A construction group owned by the family of Osama bin Laden is to build a 514-metre high tower in Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco that will be the tallest....

    Bin Laden family-owned group to build Africa's highest tower