CM calls for elected representatives’ role to counter vaccine refusals amid polio cases surge

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has expressed serious concerns over the detection of seven new polio cases across the province and called for stronger community engagement through elected representatives to counter parents’ refusals during polio immunisation campaigns.

During a provincial review meeting at the CM House on Friday, he stressed the need for the elected representatives playing a more active role in convincing the hesitant parents to get their children inoculated.

This approach, he stressed, could be pivotal in overcoming one of the key challenges in Sindh’s polio eradication efforts — refusal cases where parents declined to allow their children to receive the oral polio vaccine.

The meeting, which was attended by health and local government officials, provincial secretaries and divisional commissioners via video link, reviewed the performance of the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI).

Irshad Ali Sodhar, Provincial Coordinator of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), said a total of seven cases had been reported so far this year from Sindh, with Karachi, Hyderabad, Sujawal and Shikarpur among the affected areas.

The CM directed Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani to involve elected representatives at the grassroots level. By mobilising political leaders to directly engage with their constituents, the government aimed to dispel myths surrounding the vaccine and encourage the parents to cooperate with polio teams when they visited their houses during special immunisation campaigns, the meeting was told.

“Elected officials have a crucial role in ensuring the success of these campaigns,” Shah said. “They are in a unique position to influence and reassure parents who may be hesitant or misinformed about the safety and necessity of the polio vaccine.”

Dr Azra highlighted that despite the success of recent campaigns such as the Sub-National Immunisation Days (SNID), which vaccinated over 9.4 million children, refusal cases and the persistence of the poliovirus in environmental samples remained a significant concern.

The CM praised the frontline health workers and called for better coordination among departments, particularly in addressing refusals in high-risk areas. He urged the elected representatives to join hands with health teams in convincing parents that vaccinating their children was critical for eradicating the crippling disease from the province. “Polio eradication is not just the responsibility of the health sector; it requires the commitment of the entire community,” he added, stressing that no child should be left unvaccinated.

As Sindh prepares for the upcoming National Immunisation Days (NID) campaign, the inclusion of elected representatives in the fight against polio may prove essential in tackling resistance, ensuring broader community engagement and safeguarding the health of future generations.

Business issues

The CM, during a meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Business Council (PBC), led by Shabir Diawan, said he was working hard to resolve all the issues of industrialists related to the provincial government on a priority basis, adds our correspondent.

He said he also worked in close coordination with the relevant authorities in Islamabad to resolve the problems of the industrialists concerning the federal government. Sindh Minister for Industries Jam Ikram Dharejo, Secretary to CM Raheem Shaikh, Secretary Industries Yasin Shar, and Secretary Finance Fayaz Jatoi attended the meeting held at the CM House on Friday. The PBC delegation members included Zeelaf Munir, Ehsan Malik, Arif Habib, Ziad Bashir, and Samir Amir.

The CM stated that in order to promote industrial growth and employment, and strengthen the economy, he was working towards bolstering the existing trade and industry and attracting more investment by providing them with all necessary facilities. He emphasized that this was the key to strengthening the economy and creating job opportunities.

The PBC proposed to the CM to reduce the infrastructure cess from 1.8 per cent to 1.2 per cent. The CM assured the delegation that he would review the request and directed the Sindh Finance Secretary to propose his suggestions in this regard.

During the meeting, the visiting delegation raised concerns about the increasing power tariff and its adverse impact on the industrial sector. They also suggested the announcement of a special relief package by the government for the industrial sector. In response, the CM mentioned the positive indicators of the economy and the recent reduction in interest rates.

Shah proposed that the federal government should offer special discounted power rates for industries to run additional night working shifts.