Polio threat not over, says CM at vaccination drive launch

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday launched a seven-day anti-polio campaign across the province, warning that the threat of the crippling disease had not been eliminated and urging parents to ensure that every child under five receives the vaccine. The campaign will run from September 21 to 27 across all 30 districts of Sindh, targeting around 10 million children under five. A full campaign will be conducted in 23 districts, while seven districts will receive partial coverage according to programme requirements. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Rotary Club Community Centre in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, CM Shah said Pakistan and Afghanistan remained the only countries where wild poliovirus continued to circulate. Pakistan reported 31 polio cases last year compared with 21 in Afghanistan, he said. So far this year, Pakistan has reported four cases - one in Sujawal and three in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa - while Afghanistan has reported 29 cases. "Although we have made significant progress towards eradication, our work is not yet complete," CM Shah said, stressing that the presence of the virus anywhere in the world remained a threat to children everywhere. He said environmental surveillance in Sindh had shown improvement, with the positivity rate falling from 62% in August to 20%. Of six positive samples detected during the month, four were reported from Karachi Division and two from Hyderabad Division. More than 80,000 trained vaccinators, social mobilisers and supervisors will take part in the campaign, while more than 26,000 police personnel, including around 2,300 female constables, have been deployed to provide security. "There is no room for complacency in the fight against polio," CM Shah said, urging parents to have their children vaccinated during every campaign. The chief minister also visited the centre's prosthetics unit, where polio-affected children are provided artificial limbs and callipers. He met Huma, a polio survivor who lost the use of both legs, and was briefed on Rotary International's assistance in providing her with prosthetic legs. Talking to the media, CM Shah said he preferred to personally inaugurate polio campaigns to demonstrate the government's commitment to eradication. He appreciated the support of the Gates Foundation, UNICEF, Rotary International and other national and international partners.