CM Launches Week-long Polio Campaign, Urges Collective Effort To Eradicate Virus
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday launched a seven-day National Polio Eradication Campaign in Sindh, reaffirming the provincial government’s commitment to eliminating the crippling disease. He called upon parents, community leaders, religious scholars, civil society, and the media to play an active role in ensuring that every child receives the life-saving polio vaccine.
During his visit to the Rotary Club Community Centre in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, where he administered polio drops to children, the Chief Minister inaugurated the campaign. Accompaning him were Secretary School Education Zahid Abbasi, Health Secretary Tahir Sangi, Polio Programme In-Charge Shehryar Gul, representatives of partner organizations Aziz Memon of Rotary International, and others.
Prior to the inauguration, the Chief Minister inspected various facilities at the Rotary Club Community Centre, including a prosthetics unit providing artificial limbs and callipers for children disabled by polio, and reviewed physiotherapy services for their rehabilitation. He met Huma, a polio worker who lost both legs due to the disease, and learned that Rotary International had facilitated her with artificial limbs.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, the Chief Minister highlighted that while significant progress had been made globally towards eradicating polio, considerable challenges remain. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where the virus is still circulating among children. He noted that 31 polio cases were reported in Pakistan and 21 in Afghanistan last year, with four cases so far this year, including one from Sujawal district in Sindh and three from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
"Our task is not yet complete," he emphasized, adding that the presence of the virus anywhere posed a threat to children worldwide. The Chief Minister credited Sindh's progress to the combined efforts of the provincial government, frontline workers, parents, community leaders, development partners, and civil society organizations. He noted encouraging improvements in environmental surveillance indicators in Sindh since January 2026, with a significant decline in positive environmental samples.