Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced an ambitious plan to eradicate poliovirus from the province by 2025, finalizing preparations for a major vaccination campaign scheduled from February 3 to 9.
The drive aims to vaccinate 10.6 million children under five across all 1,257 union councils of Sindh. Chairing a Provincial Task Force meeting on Polio Eradication at the CM’s House, Shah stressed the urgency of collective action to safeguard children. “Together, we must protect our children from this crippling disease through collective efforts,” he said.
The meeting was attended by top provincial officials, including Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and representatives from the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Rotary International. Recent data revealed a worrying surge in polio cases in Sindh in 2024, with 22 cases reported eight in Larkana, six in Karachi, and four in Hyderabad.
This prompted the government to intensify efforts to combat the virus. Minister Health Dr. Azra Fazal informed the meeting that over 81,000 frontline workers would participate in the campaign to administer the oral polio vaccine. During a December 2024 campaign, 96% of targeted households were covered, but over 80,000 children were missed due to unavailability or refusal.
To address this, Shah directed Karachi’s Commissioner to involve local communities to reduce refusals. He further stressed the importance of vaccinating high-risk populations, including migrant families and those in slum areas, where 98% of refusals were recorded.
