Sindh govt, city administration aiming for 100pc polio vaccination

The Sindh government, the Karachi administration and their global partners are working together to eradicate polio from the city, aiming for 100 per cent coverage and ensuring no child is missed during the vaccination campaign being held to rid the city of the poliovirus, according to the city commissioner.

Officials said Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi visited the Natha Khan area in Shah Faisal Town on Wednesday to monitor the polio vaccination campaign. He met with the polio teams, received briefings from the relevant officers, and made crucial decisions to make the campaign more effective.

Naqvi emphasised that every child must receive polio drops, considering it a national priority. He asked all the deputy commissioners to visit their respective districts daily to review the campaign’s progress and submit daily reports to his office. He also decided that polio workers would be appointed from local areas to ensure familiarity with the community, increasing the campaign’s effectiveness.

It was also decided that special attention would be given to the 378 children in the Natha Khan union committee who had missed their vaccination, including the 146 children whose families had refused the vaccine.

The commissioner directed the DCs to form polio support teams comprising elected representatives, community members, leaders and officials from various government departments to ensure the success of the anti-polio campaign.

He explained that each team member would be assigned specific tasks to persuade, with the support of teams and elected representatives, the hesitant and missed families to get their children vaccinated.

He emphasised that the campaign’s success depends on achieving 100 per cent coverage, ensuring no child misses the polio drops. He reiterated that every child must receive polio drops to eradicate the crippling disease. Korangi DC Masood Bhutto, Shah Faisal Assistant Commissioner Naimatullah Chachar, Commissioner Karachi Polio Force Coordinator Saud Yaqoob Khoso and District Health Officer Shah Muhammad Sheikh were also present on the occasion.