KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday expressed concerns over the detection of seven polio cases in Sindh during the current year and reaffirmed his commitment to eradicating poliovirus from the province.

Chairing a provincial meeting to review polio eradication efforts here at the CM House on Friday, the CM directed the health and local government ministers to improve immunisation by involving elected representatives to avoid vaccine refusal cases, particularly in high-risk and under-immunised areas.

“We can defeat polio together. I appeal to all parents to support us in protecting their children from this crippling disease, which is rapidly spreading and posing a grave threat to our future generations,” he said.

Irshad Ali Sodhar, the provincial coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), gave a detailed briefing to the CM on the current polio situation.

He said that Sindh had reported seven polio cases this year, including three from Karachi, two from Hyderabad and one each from Sujawal, and Shikarpur.

On this, the CM emphasised the urgent need for coordinated actions to reach every child and eliminate the threat of polio.

Officials present in the meeting shared their insights on the challenges encountered in their respective divisions and the measures being taken to ensure complete immunisation coverage.

Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuhu highlighted the progress made during recent campaigns, including the fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (f-IPV) campaign in August and the Sub-National Immunization Days (SNID) campaign in September, which successfully vaccinated over 9.4 million children across the province.

The CM praised the dedication of front-line workers, district administrations, and all stakeholders involved, acknowledging the success of the f-IPV and SNID campaigns as a positive step towards a polio-free future.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2024