KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday launched a seven-day ‘National Polio Eradication Campaign’ across all 30 districts of Sindh, targeting nearly 10 million children under five and calling upon parents, community leaders and civil society to ensure every child receives the life-saving drops.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the vaccination drive at the Rotary Club Community Centre in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, he said only two countries in the world — Pakistan and Afghanistan — still had poliovirus circulation, with 31 and 21 polio cases reported last year, respectively.
Giving details of the drive, he said the campaign would run from Sept 21 to 27, adding that it would provide full coverage in 23 districts, while seven districts would have partial coverage as per programme requirements.
The chief minister said that more than 80,000 trained vaccinators, social mobilisers and supervisors will participate in the drive through door-to-door visits, while over 26,000 police personnel, including around 2,300 women constables, had been deployed for security across the province.
Week-long anti-polio campaign begins across Sindh; over 80,000 volunteers to conduct door-to-door vaccination
Paying tribute to health workers and security personnel for their dedication and sacrifices, the chief minister said that polio eradication was not solely the government’s responsibility but a shared national obligation.
He appealed to parents to ensure that all children under five receive polio drops in every campaign, reiterating that the vaccine is safe, effective and essential to prevent lifelong disability.
The CM said that in 2026, Pakistan had so far reported four cases, including one from Sujawal in Sindh and three from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Afghanistan had recorded 29 cases.
“Considerable progress has been made towards eliminating polio, but our task is not yet complete,” he said, adding that the presence of the virus anywhere continues to pose a threat to children everywhere.
He credited progress in Sindh to the collective efforts of the government, frontline workers, parents, community leaders and development partners.
He said environmental surveillance indicators had shown encouraging improvement, with positivity rate declining from 62 per cent in January 2026 to 20 per cent in August.
“Of six positive samples detected in August, four were from Karachi Division and two from Hyderabad Division, while all samples outside these divisions tested negative”, he said.
The chief minister warned that there was no room for complacency in the fight against polio. “Every unvaccinated child creates an opportunity for the virus to spread,” he said.
The chief minister said that the anti-polio campaign was at a decisive stage and expressed confidence that interrupting virus transmission by the end of 2027 was an achievable goal with high-quality campaigns and sustained commitment.
He said the final phase was often the most difficult and reaching every child in every household without exception was key to success. “Every vaccinated child brings us closer to a polio-free Sindh and Pakistan,” he added.
Secretary School Education Zahid Abbasi, Rotary International representative Aziz Memon and others were also present.
Earlier, the chief minister visited various facilities at the community centre and was briefed on support being provided to children affected by polio.
He visited the prosthetics unit where polio-affected children were provided artificial limbs and callipers and reviewed physiotherapy and rehabilitation services.
He also met Huma, who lost both legs to the disease and had been provided artificial limbs with support from Rotary International.
Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2026
