Sindh Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechuho chairs emergency response meeting on Shikarpur polio case, aimed at identifying and immunizing zero-dose, unimmunized, and malnourished children
By Ishaq Hashmi
KARACHI: Minister for Health and Population Welfare Sindh Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho chaired an emergency meeting on Tuesday at Emergency Operations Centre, Sindh, in response to the first polio case reported from district Shikarpur. This marks the fourth polio case reported in Pakistan in the current year. Expressing concerns, the minister highlighted the re-emergence of environmental samples across the province and the first case from Shikarpur in the last four years.
The meeting was dedicated to developing a Sindh Integrated Emergency Action Plan (SIEAP) in collaboration with the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Nutrition, and RMNCH programs. The SIEAP aimed at to identify and immunize zero-dose, unimmunized, and malnourished children, especially in high-risk districts. EOC Sindh Coordinator Irshad Ali Sodhar presented a detailed analysis of the surfaced polio case in Shikarpur as well as the current epidemiological situation.
Identifying districts with the highest risk of polio outbreaks due to factors like suboptimal EPI coverage, malnutrition, and population movement, Sodhar presented the polio eradication initiative’s strategy to mitigate these risks. This includes sharing the lists of malnourished and zero-dose children with EPI vaccinators and the EOC Sindh, tracking and administering the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) to zero-dose children, and establishing special transit points at toll plazas across the province for the next three months to monitor movement and administer OPV to all children under five years.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including Project Director EPI Dr. Muhammad Naeem Rajput, CEO PPHI, DG Health Sindh, DCs, DHOs, and members of the EOC Core team. The Health Minister urged all present, especially DCs, DHOs, and relevant stakeholders, to follow these steps diligently to permanently halt the spread of the poliovirus.
