Anti-polio drive starting from Feb 2: Sindh CM reviews campaign preparations

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, while presiding over a meeting of the Provincial Polio Task Force, reviewed the latest data and campaign preparations, set targets for the upcoming anti-polio drive starting February 2, and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to eradicating the virus from the province.

The meeting examined current epidemiological trends, campaign performance, and arrangements for the upcoming National Immunisation Days (NIDs) scheduled from 2 to 8 February 2026.

During the campaign, oral polio vaccine (OPV) drops will be administered to 10.5 million people overall, including 8.9 million children under five years of age. The drive will cover 1,490 Union Councils (UCs) across 30 districts, with more than 80,000 frontline workers deployed, supported by over 21,000 law enforcement personnel, including more than 1,000 female police constables.

The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, IG Police Javed Alam Odho, Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, Secretary of Local Government Waseem Shamshad, Secretary of Education Zahid Abbasi, Secretary to CM Raheem Sheikh, Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan, Secretary of Health, CEO PPHI Dr Javed Jagirani, Coordinator of Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Shahryar Memon, DG Health Dr Waqar, all DCs of Karachi divisions, and representatives of Rotary International, WHO, and UNICEF. Commissioners, DIGs, DCs, and SSPs from other divisions joined via video link.

The Chief Minister called polio eradication a national responsibility, emphasising that collective efforts were producing encouraging results. “Elimination of polio is our national duty, and the Sindh government is taking all necessary measures to achieve this goal,” he said.

Sharing key statistics, he noted Pakistan reported 74 polio cases in 2024, 31 in 2025, and zero cases so far in 2026, while Sindh recorded 23 cases in 2024, 9 in 2025, and zero cases in 2026. “The data clearly show that polio is under control, but the virus is still present, and complacency can reverse these gains,” he warned.

He stressed that population movement contributes to the spread of the poliovirus, but strengthening children’s immunity through vaccination remains the most effective defence. “We can defeat the virus only by ensuring strong immunity in our children through consistent vaccination,” he added.

Coordinator of EOC, Shahryar Memon, briefed the meeting on environmental surveillance, informing attendees that samples were being collected across all divisions of Sindh. Of 29 environmental surveillance sites, 11 tested positive, 5 tested negative, and results from 13 sites are awaited. The Chief Minister called the continued presence of the virus across the province a matter of concern. “It is alarming that the poliovirus exists in many parts of Sindh. Parents must ensure that their children receive polio drops in every campaign,” he directed.

Announcing the next polio eradication drive from 2 to 8 February 2026, he gave strict instructions to district administrations, “No child should be missed during the campaign. Deputy Commissioners must appoint monitors at the union council level to ensure full coverage.”

Highlighting the importance of media, CM Murad Ali Shah said he had already written two letters to media outlets and would write another soon. “I request media houses to begin every news bulletin with a few words on polio awareness. Media support is vital for the success of this national effort,” he said.

Murad Shah stressed that eradicating polio requires a joint effort by parents, society, the media, and the government. “If we all work together, we can save our children from paralysis and secure a healthier future for Pakistan,” he concluded.

The meeting expressed confidence that with improved campaign strategies, enhanced monitoring, and strong community engagement, Sindh is on the right track to become polio-free.

The Chief Minister directed the health department to strengthen pre-campaign quality through expanded training and micro-planning, intensify community engagement in high-hesitancy and refusal pockets, and align the campaign schedule to run for three days followed by one follow-up day in 22 districts (excluding Karachi).

The CM was informed that, on his instructions, micro-plan development activities, including a two-day walk-through exercise, are expected to improve quality. The PEOC provided technical support through pre-campaign visits in 15 districts. IEC training materials and videos were distributed to improve training quality, and a knowledge assessment dashboard was introduced for real-time gap correction. Support Centres and training venues were also rehabilitated.

It was decided that an integrated digital, social, and mass media outreach strategy would be implemented. The campaign will focus on vaccination during campaign days without extending catch-up, adopting a Single Knock Strategy to address hesitancy, streamlining data reporting, and using district data packs and priority letters. The “One Monitor–One UC” approach has been adopted to ensure ownership and continuity. The strategy shifts to supportive supervision with feedback and accountability, encouraging early ERMs, and standardising ERM templates across districts.

Community awareness will be reinforced through announcements and ground engagement. The Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) Core Team visited District Emergency Operations Centres (DEOCs) for post-campaign review and support. A multi-stakeholder workshop was held to finalise district priorities for the Karachi Action Plan (KAP). Missed-children profiling has begun across the Karachi bloc, along with area-wise challenge mapping to inform UC-level re-planning. Follow-up activities for joint EPI and PEI have been launched, targeting zero-dose children.

The Chief Minister thanked partners including WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, and the Bill Gates Foundation for their support in eradicating polio.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026