Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah kicked off the final polio eradication campaign of the year today by administering polio drops to children, emphasizing the urgency of vaccinating every child across the province. This 7-day campaign, running until December 22, aims to protect 1.6 million children from polio—17 of the 63 cases reported nationwide this year were from Sindh alone.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, Murad Ali Shah highlighted the serious threat posed by the presence of polio virus in environmental samples, underscoring the critical importance of this campaign. “We cannot afford to leave any child unvaccinated,” he said, recalling how former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto had initiated a similar campaign by vaccinating her daughter, Asifa Bhutto.
To support this effort, 80,000 frontline workers will visit homes across Sindh to administer polio drops, while 15,000 security personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of the vaccination teams. The Chief Minister also met with polio-affected children, paying tribute to the APS martyrs on this significant day.
Murad Ali Shah also touched upon broader provincial issues, discussing the NFC Award, which he noted is vital for ensuring an equitable share for provinces. He addressed the situation in flood-affected areas like Kashmore, Shikarpur, and Ghotki, where conditions have improved thanks to the government’s focused monitoring.