By Subhan Baloch
KARACHI: Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah chaired a meeting of the provincial polio task force in Karachi and reviewed the latest epidemiological data as the government finalized preparations for the next nationwide vaccination drive, due to begin on 2 February.
Officials at the meeting said the eradication of polio remained a top priority for the province, despite recent gains that had pushed reported cases to zero so far this year. The campaign, part of the National Immunization Days running from 2 to 8 February 2026, was expected to target around 8.9 million children under the age of five in Sindh, with more than 10.5 million people covered overall across 1,490 union councils in 30 districts.
More than 80,000 frontline polio workers were to be deployed, supported by over 21,000 law enforcement personnel, including more than 1,000 female police constables, to ensure security and uninterrupted access in all areas. Briefing the chief minister, health officials pointed to what they described as encouraging progress. Pakistan recorded 74 polio cases in 2024, which fell to 31 in 2025, with no cases reported so far in 2026.
Sindh followed a similar trajectory, with cases declining from 23 to nine over the same period and none reported this year. However, Shah cautioned against complacency, noting that the virus had not been eliminated and continued to circulate silently. Environmental surveillance data presented at the meeting showed that samples from 29 sites across the province were being monitored, with poliovirus still detected in several locations.
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