400 monitors hired to identify obstacles to anti-polio efforts

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi chaired a meeting regarding the polio eradication held at his office on Saturday, and emphasized ensuring all children received polio drops.

He was also briefed on children of government employees as well as employees of private organisations are avoiding polio vaccinations—a total of 6,148 children from private and government sectors have been identified

Officials said that the meeting was attended among others by Deputy Commissioner Shehzad Abbasi (East), Ahmed Ali Siddiqui (West), Masood Bhutto (Korangi), and Karachi Polio Task Force Coordinator Saud Yaqoob Khoso. Emergency Operation Centre Coordinator Irshad Sodhar and other deputy commissioners participated via video link.

The meeting was informed that the polio eradication campaign in Karachi will begin on October 28 and will last for a week, targeting over 2.7 million children under 5 years of age. The Emergency Operation Centre and deputy commissioners have completed arrangements for the campaign.

Moreover, to overcome challenges, the government has hired 400 independent monitors to identify and help resolve obstacles. Special attention will be given to children who have missed polio vaccinations or are hesitant to receive them. Deputy commissioners will take special measures with the help of parents and community leaders to ensure all children are administered from polio drops.

The meeting decided to extend access to children of private organizations and the provincial and the federal government employees in Karachi through their offices.

On World Polio Day 2024 on Friday, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had announced the adjournment of the ongoing provincial assembly session for five days to allow all the members of the legislature to actively participate in the anti-polio campaign.

The decision was made during the meeting of the Provincial Task Force on Polio at the CM House, where Shah stressed the importance of each MPA administering polio drops to children under the age of five in their respective constituencies.

“This move aims to strengthen the anti-polio campaign that was initiated by former prime minister Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and bring it to a successful conclusion,” said the CM, who presided over the task force meeting.

He revealed that a five-day anti-polio drive would be conducted from October 28 to November 1. This time, he emphasised, there would be zero tolerance for refusal cases. “That is why I have decided to engage parliamentarians, other elected members, civil society and ulemas to ensure full participation.”

The meeting was held in conjunction with World Polio Day events. Shah pointed out that 40 polio cases have been reported in Pakistan this year, including 12 in Sindh, 20 in Balochistan, six in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Punjab.

He said 23 cases have also been reported in Afghanistan. He highlighted that frequent movement across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and between provinces has contributed to the resurgence of polio.

He reiterated the Sindh government’s commitment to eradicating polio, emphasising that any failure to vaccinate children during the upcoming campaign would not be tolerated. “The deputy commissioners have been instructed to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.”

Security remains a top concern, with Shah saying that SSPs have been directed to provide strong protection for polio teams. “Daily reports on security arrangements will be sent to the CM Secretariat.”