RAWALPINDI: District Health Authority (DHA) will start anti-polio campaign in Rawalpindi from Sept 18 and will administer vaccine to 829,000 children.

However, it will start an awareness campaign from Wednesday involving local politicians and influential personalities.

On Tuesday, acting commissioner Rawalpindi Talat Mehmood Gondal held a meeting to review the arrangements for the campaign in the district and asked the health authority to make sure that the polio vaccine was administered to every child.

While briefing the meeting, WHO representatives said the district administration would set up 2,181 mobile teams, besides deploying vaccinators at entry and exit points.

Moreover, they added that 217 union council supervisors and 448 area in-charges would also be deployed.

He directed School department to play its role in this regard and launch an awareness campaign among children.

The meeting was attended by WHO representatives, health officials and officers of local administration.

As the polio virus has been found in the sewers of Rawalpindi, the provincial government has asked the local administration to make the campaign effective so that polio is eradicated from the region.