Sindh CM launches week-long anti-polio drive in 24 districts

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

The CM urged parents to protect their children from the crippling virus by providing them with oral polio vaccines, calling for community efforts towards a polio-free environment and securing a healthier future for children.

He also urged all schools, hospitals, and caregivers to welcome vaccinators, acknowledging their frontline role in the battle against this debilitating disease.

The provincial health department has launched a Sub-National Immunization Days (NIDs) campaign from April 29th to May 5th, 2024. This critical initiative aims to vaccinate approximately eight million children under the age of 5 against the poliovirus in 24 districts of Sindh.

Over 62,000 front-line workers will operate throughout the province, ensuring every eligible child receives this life-saving vaccine. Nearly 4,000 security personnel will support this massive effort.

Minister Health & Population Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho highlighted the campaign's objective to halt the alarming trend of positive environmental samples in Sindh and other parts of the country, which pose a threat to children's health.

Recent reports have identified 11 positive environmental samples from various sites in Sindh, underscoring the urgency of the vaccination drive. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two remaining endemic countries, and interrupting virus transmission in this epidemiological block is crucial to eradicating polio. The Polio Programs of both countries are united in a single mission to protect children from lifelong disability and end polio in the region.

The CM appreciated the ongoing efforts despite security challenges to ensure the vaccination of every child. He encouraged parents whose children have missed the vaccination to contact the Emergency Operations Centre’s Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline 1166.

Recognizing the media's role in disseminating critical information, the CM urged journalists and community leaders to support the anti-polio campaign, echoing medical experts and religious scholars who endorse the safety and efficacy of the oral polio vaccine.