KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, in a significant meeting with a six-member delegation from the Rotary Foundation, reaffirmed his commitment to eradicating polio, a crippling disease that poses a serious threat to children, along with large-scale oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaigns scheduled for September, October, and December 2025, including a campaign targeting children up to age 15.
The meeting included Holger Knaack, Trustee Chair of the Rotary Foundation; Michael K McGovern, Chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee; Aziz Memon, National Chair of the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee; Muhammad Faiz Kidwai, Past Rotary International Director; Shakeel Kaimkhani, District Governor of Rotary International Sindh; and Shahzad Sabir, District Governor Elect. The chief minister was assisted by his Health Minister, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and Secretary to the Chief Minister, Raheem Shaikh. The meeting resolved to strengthen further collaborative efforts in combating polio in Sindh.
During the meeting, Chief Minister Shah highlighted the alarming rise in polio cases, with Sindh reporting 23 cases in 2024 and 6 cases thus far in 2025, including the last recorded case in Badin in July 2025. However, he noted promising signs from Environmental Surveillance, indicating a decrease in the presence of the virus, with one-third of samples from Karachi and Hyderabad returning negative results for both June and July 2025.
Out of 21 polio cases, one in Punjab, six in Sindh, 13 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and one AJK/GB. In Sindh Hyderabad division has three cases, Larkana two, Mirpukhas has one.
To bolster polio eradication efforts, Sindh has implemented several initiatives in response to recommendations from the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) and the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). These initiatives include the establishment of accountability measures through regular task force meetings and the mobilisation of 1,300 support teams to assist frontline workers in vaccinating hesitant households. Notably, refusal conversion committees in Karachi have succeeded in reducing vaccine refusals by 15 percent.
The Rotary International has played a vital role in this battle against polio, contributing approximately $ 500 million to enhance the national polio programme, establishing vital infrastructure, and organising health camps for underserved communities.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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