Massive polio drive in Sindh from Dec 16 to vaccinate 10.6m children

A massive seven-day polio eradication campaign will kick off across Sindh on December 16, targeting over 10.6 million children under the age of five.

The campaign, which spans all districts of the province, will involve more than 80,000 trained frontline workers, with a special focus on reaching children in transit through deployment at bus terminals and other transit points.

The campaign aims to ensure comprehensive coverage, with 18 polio teams stationed at Karachi’s Sohrab Goth Bus Terminal, a critical hub for migrant populations, to administer polio drops to children passing through. To address security concerns, over 24,000 police personnel will be deployed to provide safety to polio teams across the province.

The preparations were finalised during a high-level meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah and attended by key officials, including Sindh Inspector General of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon, Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi, Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch, Karachi additional IG and representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef and the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

Divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners joined the discussion via video link to coordinate campaign efforts in their respective regions. EOC Coordinator Irshad Ali Sodhar informed the meeting that polio workers had received comprehensive training to ensure efficiency during the drive. Detailed mapping of bus terminals in Karachi and other urban centres has been completed to guarantee no child was left unvaccinated, especially in high-transit areas.

The chief secretary emphasised the critical importance of eradicating polio, urging all the district administrations to make every effort to convince parents who refused vaccination. He highlighted the need for active involvement from the local government department and union council (UC) secretaries and warned that no negligence in training or field operations would be tolerated.

The Sindh police chief assured robust security measures, including the deployment of police personnel to protect frontline workers. Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi pointed out the challenges posed by refusal cases and unregistered migrant populations in the city, assuring that targeted measures were being taken to address these issues.

The chief secretary concluded the meeting by reiterating the government’s commitment to making this anti-polio drive a success, with coordinated efforts from all stakeholders, including national and international partners.

He appealed to parents to cooperate with polio teams for the safety and future of their children, emphasising the shared responsibility of eradicating polio and moving closer to achieving a polio-free Pakistan.