Sindh begins fresh push against polio

April 13 OPV drive targets 10.6m children, with Vitamin A as virus spreads beyond Karachi

IV Report

KARACHI: Sindh on Monday (April 13) launched the second round of the nationwide oral polio vaccination campaign for 2026, with Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah inaugurating the seven-day drive at a ceremony held at a government school in Karachi.

Addressing the event, the chief minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating the crippling disease, stressing that all-out efforts were being made to eliminate the poliovirus and protect children across the province.

Officials noted that while Karachi districts had reported a significant burden of infection in recent years, cases are now being detected in Hyderabad and other districts, indicating a shift in transmission patterns.

The campaign aims to vaccinate around 10.6 million children under five years of age across Sindh through the efforts of over 83,000 frontline polio workers. These children are also covered under routine immunisation services provided by the Sindh Expanded Programme on Immunisation. In addition, Vitamin A supplements will be administered to approximately 9.4 million children to help boost immunity and improve overall health outcomes.

Mr Shah emphasised that sustained immunisation, enhanced public awareness, and coordinated action at all levels were essential to eliminating the disease.

“To ensure the safety of teams, over 24,000 security personnel have been deployed, including more than 2,400 female police officers,” he said, adding that the measures reflect the government’s commitment to protecting both children and frontline workers.

The launch ceremony, held at Government Boys Secondary School in Khayaban-e-Shujaat, DHA, was attended by Sindh Education Minister Sardar Shah, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho, Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, School Education Secretary Zahid Abbasi, Health Secretary Tahir H Sangi, and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) In-charge Shehryar Gul. The chief minister also administered polio drops to children and interacted with students during a visit to classrooms.

Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries where polio transmission continues. Sindh reported nine cases in 2025 and has already recorded Pakistan’s first case of 2026 from Sujawal district. However, officials expressed optimism that transmission would be contained, noting that the proportion of environmental samples testing positive for the virus declined to 24 per cent in the first quarter of 2026.

Health experts reiterated that repeated vaccination is critical to building immunity and interrupting virus transmission, underscoring that the polio vaccine is safe, effective, and approved by the World Health Organisation.

In a statement, the Pakistan Pediatric Association, Sindh chapter, urged parents to ensure that all children under five years of age receive polio drops during the campaign. It also advised that children aged six months to five years be given Vitamin A supplements alongside vaccination, while routine immunisation should continue as scheduled.

Senior office-bearers, including Prof Waseem Jamalvi and Dr Saadullah Chachar, stressed that every child must be vaccinated in each campaign to achieve eradication.

Under the campaign strategy, standard areas will undergo three days of vaccination followed by one day of catch-up activities. In high-risk and mobile population areas, vaccination will continue for five days, followed by two days of catch-up through community-based and mobile teams.

Photos courtesy: Official sources