KARACHI: The provincial government has linked its 100 per cent birth registration initiative with its polio eradication drive, with real-time registration of newborns at health facilities intended to ensure no child misses life-saving vaccination.
Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah highlighted the linkage on Tuesday during a meeting with a six-member delegation from the Gates Foundation, led by its Director of Immunisation, Greg Widmyer.
Speaking to Dawn, the chief secretary said that the reform was directly relevant to polio eradication as it would help identify every newborn, create a verifiable database for immunisation and improve micro-planning, especially for mobile and migrant families who often remain out of coverage.
He said that polio eradication remained the foremost priority of the provincial government and was being directly overseen by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Health Minister Dr Azra Pechuho and him.
The CS said the province had adopted a zero-tolerance approach to gaps in campaigns and was discouraging transfers of officials associated with polio campaigns during campaign periods to ensure continuity and accountability.
He said the government had hired vaccinators to expand routine immunisation coverage, particularly to reach children who had missed vaccination, including those from mobile and migrant populations.
He said that the initiative to achieve 100 per cent birth registration under the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Scale-Up Plan had been linked to polio eradication and routine immunisation, as registering every newborn at health facilities through real-time digital registration linked with the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) would help ensure that every child was identified at birth and included in vaccination planning.
The chief secretary said that particular attention was being given to vaccination at transit points to ensure children travelling between districts were not missed.
According to a press statement, he appreciated the support of the Gates Foundation and said that its assistance had contributed to the province’s efforts against polio. He stressed the need for sustained coordination, focused outreach to mobile populations and consistent vaccination coverage to achieve a polio-free Sindh.
The Emergency Operations Centre coordinator briefed the meeting on polio surveillance and said that 28 of the 29 environmental samples collected in Karachi had tested negative for poliovirus, describing the result as an encouraging indication of the quality of vaccination campaigns and routine immunisation.
During the meeting, the delegation was told that the 100 per cent birth registration initiative was part of the CRVS Scale-Up Plan, under which civil registration had been integrated directly into health facilities and electronically linked with Nadra.
The statement stated the Gates Foundation delegation appreciated the measures taken by the provincial government and assured continued support for polio eradication and strengthening of routine immunisation.
Earlier in the day, the chief secretary visited various offices in Block 4B of the Sindh Secretariat, checked officers’ attendance and reviewed cleanliness and upkeep.
He expressed dissatisfaction with maintenance standards in some offices and directed that offices be kept clean and that officers observe office timings.
Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026
