KARACHI  -  Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Asif Hyder Shah chaired a high-level meeting to finalize preparations for the upcoming seven-day anti-polio campaign set to begin on December 16 during which over 10 million children would be vaccinated. The meeting held here on Wednesday and attended by Inspector General Police Sindh Ghulam Nabi Memon, Commissioner Karachi Syed Hasan Naqvi, Secretary Health Rehan Iqbal Baloch, Additional IG Karachi, representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Coordinator Irshad Ali Sodhar, along with divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners who participated via video link.

During the campaign, over 10.6 million children across Sindh will be administered polio drops.

Chief Secretary Sindh emphasized the critical importance of eradicating polio and ensuring every child receives the vaccine.  He announced that more than 80,000 frontline workers will participate in this extensive drive, and polio teams will also be deployed at all major bus terminals across the province to ensure coverage of children in transit. Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah directed all deputy commissioners to make every effort to convince parents who refuse vaccination, urging them to cooperate for the safety and future of their children.  He also appealed to parents to support the polio teams in their mission to safeguard children from this debilitating disease.  The Chief Secretary stressed that no negligence in the training of polio workers would be tolerated. He instructed the district administration and union council (UC) secretaries from the Local Government Department to remain active in the field throughout the campaign. Furthermore, he warned that strict action would be taken against any field officers found negligent during the campaign.

Inspector General Police Sindh, Ghulam Nabi Memon, assured that over 24,000 police personnel would be deployed to provide security to polio workers during the campaign. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of frontline workers to carry out their duties effectively.  Commissioner Karachi Syed Hasan Naqvi highlighted the challenges in the city, including refusal cases and the coverage of migrant populations, and assured that efforts were being made to address these issues comprehensively. EOC Coordinator Irshad Ali Sodhar informed the meeting that the training of polio workers had been completed and a detailed mapping of bus terminals in Karachi had been undertaken with the support of the district administration. It was further disclosed that 18 polio teams would be stationed at Sohrab Goth Bus Terminal to ensure coverage of all children passing through the area.

Chief Secretary Sindh reiterated the government’s commitment to making the campaign a success and ensuring the eradication of polio from the province. Chief Secretary Sindh further stated that This anti-polio drive represents a significant effort by the Sindh government, in collaboration with national and international partners, to protect the children of Sindh from a preventable disease and move closer to achieving a polio free Pakistan.