KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday inaugurated a week-long anti-polio campaign across 24 districts by administering polio drops to children at the newly established health facility in Gadap.

He urged parents to protect their children from the crippling disease by providing them with oral vaccines.

“Together, as a community, let us forge a path towards a polio-free environment, securing a healthier future for our children,” he said while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the anti-polio campaign.

The programme was attended by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Health Secretary Rehan Baloch and others.

The health department launched a Sub-National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign from April 29 to May 5. The crucial initiative aims at vaccinating approximately eight million children under the age of five against poliovirus in 24 districts of Sindh.

Over 62,000 front-line workers will work throughout the province, ensuring every eligible child receives that life-saving vaccine. The massive effort will be supported by almost 4,000 security personnel.

The CM urged all schools, hospitals, and caregivers to welcome vaccinators, as they were truly fighting on the frontline in the last stages of our battle against that debilitating disease.

The health minister said that the campaign was aimed at stopping the alarming trend of positive environmental samples in Sindh and all over Pakistan, threatening the health of children.

In recent reports, 11 positive environmental samples had been isolated from various sites in Sindh. That situation underscored the urgency of that vaccination drive, she said, adding that Pakistan and Afghanistan were the two remaining endemic countries, and interrupting virus transmission in this epidemiological block was critical to eradicating polio.

The polio programmes of both countries were united in a single mission to protect children from lifelong disability and end polio in the region, she said.

The CM said that despite security challenges and persistent virus clusters, efforts were ongoing to ensure vaccination of every child.

“To ensure no child is left unprotected, we encourage parents whose children are missed to contact the Emergency Operations Centre’s Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline 1166,” he said.

The media plays a pivotal role in disseminating critical information, he said and urged journalists and community leaders to rally support for the ongoing anti-polio campaign, echoing the endorsement of medical experts and religious scholars who advocate for the safety and efficacy of the oral polio vaccine.

Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Barrister Murtaza Wahab said that 1.8 million children would be vaccinated against polio during the week-long campaign in Karachi.

He said this while talking to media representatives after administering polio drops to children at the SMB Fatima School Garden on Monday. “We will try to achieve this goal in the next seven days,” he added.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2024