Zahedan University of Medical Sciences

Report from: Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Vice Chancellery for Health
Published on: 07 January 2024

Islamic Republic of Iran achieved the status of a polio-free country two decades ago. The last case was detected in Chabahar district, southeast of Iran in 2000. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two polio-endemic countries in the world, both of them neighboring Sistan and Balouchetsan Province.

Given the fact that Sistan and Balouchestan Province has a long common border with Pakistan and Afghanistan, two polio-endemic countries in the world, it is imperative that all children under 5 years of age in this province, whether previously immunized or not, receive 2 drops of oral polio vaccine on an annual basis to prevent the circulation of the wild and vaccine-derived polio viruses in the region.

A four-day sub-national polio immunization campaign started from January 6 to January 9, 2024 where drops will be administered to children of less than 5 years of age to keep the disease at bay. The campaign has been planned to vaccinate over 22 thousand children under the age of five living in Sistan and Balouchestan Province.

The campaign will be conducted in 2 rounds through house-to-house visits by more than one thousand vaccination teams, including healthcare workers and Community Health Volunteers.

According to the public relations report, Dr. Habib Ghaznavi, the Chancellor  of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, at the opening ceremony of the supplemental polio vaccination campaign said: “Polio is an acute infectious disease that exists widely in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and fortunately, with The efforts of colleagues there has been no reports of the disease in the province and the country in the last 20 years and it has been a great public health success for the Islamic Republic of Iran”.

The Chancellor of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences continued: “In order to maintain this great achievement and considering the proximity of the province to polio-endemic countries, every year supplemental polio immunization operations are conducted targeting all children under 5 years of age, regardless of their previous history of vaccination, in some high-risk areas of the country, including the southern half of Khorasan province. South, areas of Hormozgan, Kerman and the entire province of Sistan and Baluchistan”.

Dr. Mehdi Zanganeh, Vice Chancellor for Health of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, said: The Supplemental Polio Vaccination Campaign will be conducted door-to-door in 2 rounds for all children under 5 years of age, regardless of previous immunization history”.

He continued: “With the implementation of the supplementary polio vaccination campaign, more than 22 thousand Iranian and non-Iranian children under 5 years of age will receive polio vaccines. The campaign is run by more than one thousand operational teams and 159 provincial and city supervisors”.

Alireza Shahraki, the Governor of Zahedan District, also said: "Good measures are being taken by Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in Zahedan city, which will be part of improving health indicators."

Copyright © 2024 Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved. Date updated: 07/01/2024

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