Two polio vaccinators abducted in Dera Ismail Khan

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two polio workers were kidnapped by unknown men in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Dera Ismail Khan district on Tuesday, police said.

The abduction occurred when the polio workers were returning to their homes after a training session at the National Emergency Polio Campaign held in DI Khan city.

According to the police spokesperson, Raza Muhammad and Muhammad Asif were kidnapped at gunpoint by unknown persons.

“The assailants stopped the coach, forcibly offloaded the two passengers, and took them away,” police said.

The incident occurred before a countrywide anti-polio campaign, which will begin on April 21 to immunize 45 million children.

Meanwhile, a five-day polio eradication campaign will begin in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 21.

The campaign is set to provide polio vaccinations to approximately 6 million children across the province.

The province health administration said on Tuesday that more than 800,000 children in Peshawar will receive the polio vaccination.

Over 30,000 teams have been created to carry out the campaign, and 50,000 police officers will be deployed to maintain security throughout the drive.

Health authorities acknowledged that one incidence of polio has been detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this year, highlighting the need for ongoing vaccination efforts.

It is worth noting that Pakistan’s final subnational polio campaign for the year 2024 did not meet its objective, leaving 1,122,537 children unvaccinated.