Sabahat Sarwar
Karachi: In a renewed push to eliminate poliovirus and strengthen child immunity, the Sindh Government has officially launched a special Polio Booster Campaign targeting approximately 1.8 million children up to 10 years of age across Karachi. The campaign, which will run from May 11 to May 24, will cover 89 Union Councils through door to door vaccination drives and designated immunization centers.
The campaign was formally inaugurated by Sindh Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho. Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Pechuho said the Sindh Government is utilizing all available resources to ensure the complete eradication of polio from the province. She stressed that immunization and booster doses remain essential to protect children from the crippling disease and urged parents to fully cooperate with vaccination teams.
She appealed to parents to ensure that children between the ages of 4 to 10 receive the additional booster dose to safeguard them from lifelong disability caused by poliovirus. The Health Minister further stated that comprehensive arrangements have been made to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign, particularly in sensitive areas where special attention has been given to security and accessibility. She emphasized that the eradication of polio is a collective responsibility and called upon parents, teachers, religious scholars, civil society and government institutions to work together in protecting future generations from the disease.
According to official data, Pakistan has reported three polio cases so far this year, including one case from Sindh and two from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Officials stated that vaccination teams will visit households across targeted districts while additional vaccination facilities have also been established at fixed centers to maximize outreach.
Meanwhile, according to the spokesperson for Karachi Police, Additional IG Karachi Azad Khan has directed all concerned officers to ensure foolproof security arrangements and maintain close coordination with relevant institutions to guarantee the successful execution of the campaign.
