• CM Shah in Karachi, MNA Aseefa in Nawabshah inaugurate week-long immunisation drive
• Murad says 80,000 front-line workers, protected by 15,000 security personnel, will administer polio drops to 10.6m children across province

KARACHI / NAWABSHAH: Amid persistent alarm over polio situation, the provincial government on Monday launched another week-long immunisation drive against the debilitating disease that has so far affected 17 children in Sindh, two of them testing positive in Jacobabad and Sukkur only two days ago.

This year’s last polio vaccination drive targets 10.6 million children under the age of five. A total of 63 children in Pakistan have contracted the poliovirus this year.

In Karachi, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurated the polio eradication campaign by immunising children in a classroom at the NJV School and encouraged the polio vaccination teams to treat their work as a classroom activity.

According to a statement issued from the CM House, the attendees included Health Secretary Rehan Baloch, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, city police chief Additional IG Javed Alam Odho, Coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Irshad Sodhar and school administrators.

CM Shah reported that over 80,000 front-line workers are going door-to-door to ensure that no child is overlooked. “I have deployed 15,000 security personnel across Sindh to create a safe environment for this effort,” he stated.

“The situation remains critical, with most environmental samples testing positive for the virus, indicating ongoing transmission,” the CM said.

He pointed out that Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last two countries in the world where the poliovirus is still endemic. “This campaign is essential for halting the virus’s spread and protecting children from its devastating effects,” he noted, emphasising that every child must be vaccinated to prevent the virus’s transmission and avoid long-term disability.

In response to media questions, the CM recalled that former prime minister Benazir Bhutto had inaugurated a polio campaign in 1994 by administering drops to her daughter, Aseefa.

When asked about a federal government plan to revise shares of provinces in the National Finance Commission (NFC) award, he noted that the Constitution did not allow for a revision of the award, which is supposed to be announced every five years. “Unfortunately, it has not been announced for the last 15 years,” he said, noting that future NFC awards would increase the provinces’ shares.

Asked to comment on a rumour surrounding change of guards at the Governor House, the chief minister said: “I don’t know about any such development because the governor is a federal representative, and the federal government does not consult with the chief ministers.”

Mr Shah said that law and order situation in Shikarpur, Ghotki and Kashmore had signficantally improved and incidents of kidnapping of ransom were on a decline. “We are committed to purging these areas of dacoits,” he vowed.

Earlier, EOC coordinator Sodhar urged the media, community leaders and religious scholars to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination and support this vital campaign to ensure a polio-free future for Sindh, Pakistan, and beyond.

“For those who miss vaccination, help and information can be obtained through the Emergency Operations Centre’s Sehat Tahaffuz Helpline at 1166 or WhatsApp Helpline 0346-7776546,” he said.

In Nawabshah, MNA Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari and PPP Women’s Wing president MPA Faryal Talpur inaugurated the anti-polio campaign.

Ms Bhutto Zardari, along with Ms Talpur, chaired a meeting to launch the anti-polio campaign, which was attended by Deputy Commissioner Sheharyar Gul Memon, district health officer Dr Asadullah Dahiri and others.

She distributed appreciation certificates to the members of the anti-polio team who demonstrated outstanding performance.

She earlier administered polio drops to children to eradicate polio.

Over one million under-five children to be vaccinated against polio in three districts

In Larkana, the anti-polio drive in Larkana district was kicked off on Monday to vaccinate 480,000 children of up to five years of age.

The health department has formed 1,089 mobile and 86 transit teams for the district with the task of going door-to-door and also visit bus stops, railway stations and other public points to administer polio drops to the targeted children.

Larkana Deputy Commissioner Sharjeel Noor Channa and SSP Dr Mir Rohal Khan Khoso visited a vaccination centre set up at the Govt dispensary in Nazar mohalla and supervised the campaign. They received a briefing from the staff busy in discharging the duty.

They asked the staff to ensure reaching even the remotest area of their area of operation to ensure vaccinating children against the crippling disease.

Stringent security measures were taken across the district to ensure safety of the anti-polio team. Around 1,300 police officers and personnel have been deputed to protect the teams in the district. Police patrolling has been increased while DSPs and SHOs have been directed to remain on roads and in streets to supervise the security operation.

The seven-day anti-polio drive was also launched in Dadu and Jamshoro district.

Dadu DC Mukhtiar Ali Abro, along with Johi MPA Syed Saleh Shah Jilani and District Health Officer Syed Imdad Ali initiated the campaign by vaccinating some children at the Phuka Basic Health Unit.

They interacted with members of anti-polio teams and issued necessary directives to ensure success of the campaign.

A total of 407,723 under-five children will be vaccinated against polio in this district, DC Abro said.

The district health officials have formed 1,085 teams for the purpose. The teams are headed by 280 area in-charges and 112 team supervisors.

To ensure safety and security of the teams, 1,473 police officers and personnel have been deployed.

The DC appealed to parents to get their under-five children vaccinated as a national duty and in the interest of their own offspring.

Parents have been requested to ensure that their children receive the polio drops without fail. He also urged citizens to cooperate with the visiting teams and assist them in making the campaign a success.

In Jamshoro district also, foolproof security has been ensured for anti-polio workers.

Deputy Commissioner Ghazanfar Ali Qadri and SSP Zafar Siddique initiated the drive at the District Headquarters

Hospital in Kotri.

The SSP told the media that all senior police officers had been assigned the responsibility of ensuring security of the vaccination teams within their respective jurisdiction. Over 800 police officers and personnel have been deployed for the purpose across the district.

The district heath officials have formed 801 polio teams to undertake the job.

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2024