Karachi: Sindh is confronting significant hurdles in its fight against polio, with 13 reported cases in the province, as challenges related to refusals, official reluctance, and migration continue to hinder the vaccination campaign.
Despite efforts, only 69% of children in the province are fully immunized, and environmental samples from 66% of districts have tested positive for the poliovirus, health officials told Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister of Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah, expressed his frustration at the ongoing challenges during a meeting on Wednesday.
“I am working tirelessly to eliminate polio, but I am facing three key challenges: refusal cases, reluctance from concerned officers, and migration, which introduces the polio virus into the province,” he said. The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, and other senior officials.
The province currently has 10.6 million children under the age of five, with over 320,000 children recorded as migrating with their families. Despite these numbers, the campaign faces setbacks with over 43,000 identified refusal cases. Six districts—Jamshoro, Central, East, Malir, Kashmore, and Tharparkar—have been flagged for poor performance during the October 2024 polio campaign.
In response to these setbacks, CM Murad issued a direct order to sack non-performing Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs), and District Health Officers (DHOs). He called for increased accountability, instructing officials to ensure the administration of polio drops, warning that failure to act would result in dismissal.
Concluding his remarks, CM Murad emphasized the need for a unified approach, stating that Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries with prevalent poliovirus. “We must eradicate it through our dedicated efforts, and all stakeholders, including parents, need to unite to support the government,” he added.
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