Hyderabad, Oct 12 (NationPress) The health authorities in Telangana initiated a special Pulse Polio vaccination campaign on Sunday across six districts, including Hyderabad, as part of a nationwide initiative aimed at preventing the resurgence of the disease.

During this drive, children under the age of five are receiving oral polio drops, which will be administered until October 15.

The campaign commenced on Sunday morning in the districts of Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, Sangareddy, Hanamkonda, and Warangal.

The Health Department has called upon parents to ensure that every child, from newborns to five-year-olds, receives the vaccine.

According to the Health Department, an estimated 17.56 lakh children under five reside in these districts.

A total of 5,17,238 children in the Hyderabad district will receive oral polio drops during this campaign.

As stated by Hyderabad District Collector Dasari Hari Chandana, 2,843 polio booths have been established across the district, operational from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition, over 11,200 health personnel will conduct door-to-door visits from October 13 to 15 to ensure comprehensive coverage.

The district administration has pinpointed 164 high-risk areas that will receive focused attention during the campaign.

A total of 9.36 lakh households in the Hyderabad district are anticipated to be covered during this drive.

At the headquarters of Sangareddy, district Collector P. Pravinya and Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC) Chairperson Nirmala Jaggareddy administered polio drops to children at the government hospital.

These six districts of Telangana are among 290 districts identified by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for this drive, focusing on areas with significant movement from countries with ongoing polio cases, such as Bangladesh and Pakistan, which have reported new cases over the past three years.

The last recorded polio case in India was in 2011, and Telangana has not reported any cases since 2007.