Sindh CM warns polio threat persists as vaccination campaign begins

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has warned that the threat of polio remains and urged parents to ensure that all children under five receive the vaccine.

Shah launched a seven-day anti-polio campaign in Sindh on Monday. The campaign will continue from September 21 to 27 across all 30 districts of the province.

Around 10 million children under the age of five are being targeted during the campaign. Vaccination activities will be carried out fully in 23 districts, while seven districts will receive partial coverage based on programme requirements.

Speaking at the campaign’s launch at the Rotary Club Community Centre in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, the chief minister said Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only countries where wild poliovirus is still circulating.

Shah said Pakistan recorded 31 polio cases last year, while Afghanistan reported 21. So far this year, Pakistan has reported four cases, including one in Sujawal and three in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Afghanistan has recorded 29 cases during the same period.

The chief minister said Pakistan had made progress towards eliminating the disease but the campaign could not be relaxed. He stressed that the presence of poliovirus in any part of the world could pose a threat to children elsewhere.

He said environmental surveillance in Sindh had also shown improvement. The province’s positivity rate dropped from 62 per cent in August to 20 per cent. Six positive samples were detected during the month, with four coming from Karachi Division and two from Hyderabad Division.

More than 80,000 vaccinators, social mobilisers and supervisors will participate in the campaign. Security arrangements have also been strengthened, with more than 26,000 police personnel deployed across the province. The force includes around 2,300 female police officers.

Shah urged parents not to miss any vaccination opportunity. He said continued participation was essential to prevent the virus from spreading and protect children from the disabling disease.

During his visit, the chief minister also inspected the prosthetics unit at the centre, where polio survivors receive artificial limbs and callipers. He met Huma, a polio survivor who lost the use of both legs, and was briefed about the support provided by Rotary International for her prosthetic legs.