KARACHI: A week-long antipolio campaign began on Monday across Sindh to vaccinate over 10.6 million children under the age of five.

The vaccination drive will continue till Feb 9 as part of the National Immunisation Days (NIDs) campaign.As many as 82,000 frontline polio workers will go door to door to immunise the children against the crippling disease. To ensure their safety, the Sindh government has deployed 21,844 security personnel.

The drive was formally launchedbySindhChiefMinister Syed Murad Ali Shah by administering polio drips to children.

Speaking at the launch event at CM House, he reaffirmed his government`s strong commitment to eradicating the crippling disease and ensuring a healthier future for children throughout the province.

He emphasised that polio vaccination was not just a health campaign but a crucial fight for the well-being of Sindh`s children.

`We are determined to ensurethat no child in Sindh suffers from this entirely preventable disease,` he stated.

He added that the Sindh government is fully engaged in this mission and that he would personally oversee the progress of the campaign.

The CM highlighted the urgency of vaccinating every child, noting that Pakistan is one of the last two countries in the world where polio is still present.

`In 2024, 22 of Pakistan`s 73 polio cases were reported in Sindh. The first case of 2025 has already been detected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa`s Dera Ismail Khan, reminding us that the virus remains a serious threat,` he said.

Environmental surveillance has also identified the presence of the poliovirus in several areasacross Sindh, reinforcing the need for ongoing vigilance, he added.

Sending a strong message against any resistance to the vaccination drive, the Mr Shah said, `We have zero tolerance for any threats or obstruction against our polio teams,` and added that anyone attempting to hinder this campaign would face strict legal action.

Paying rich tributes to the frontline workers, he said: `These workers are the true heroes of this campaign. They are not just health staff; they are protectors of our children`s future and deserve our full respect and support.

He also introduced a new performance scorecard developed by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah to evaluate efforts at the districtlevel.

Best-performing districts will be recognised while under performing areas will be held accountable, he said.

He urged parents to cooperate with the vaccination teams, saying, `Open your doors to the polio teams.

Don`t let myths or misinformation endanger your child`s future,` he said.

He added that the polio vaccine is safe, effective, and free of cost. `Even if a child has been vaccinated before, they need multiple doses to build strong immunity,` he said.

Additionally, he called upon religious leaders, teachers, community elders, and influencers to use their voices to encourage participation in the campaign.

`Together, with our collective efforts, we will make Sindh, and Pakistan, polio-free,` he concluded.

In Sukkur, the district administration had taken upon itself the responsibility to ensure success of the polio campaign, said officials.

Sukkur DC M.B. Raja Dharejo and SSP Muhammad Azhar Mughal visited schools and health centres, and administered polio drops to children. The district administration had pledged to make the polio campaign a success at any cost, said the officials.

The officials visited various schools and hospitals in Sukkur on the first day of the drive and went to each classroom to administer polio drops to children.

They said that not only they but every member of society must play their part in eradicating the disease.

They urged parents, civil society and media to play their role in ensuring success of the campaign and convince reluctant parents to get their children vaccinated againstthe disease.

IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon and DIG Sukkur Range retired Captain Faisal Abdullah Chachar have issued instructions for providing foolproof security to polio vaccination teams in Sukkur, Ghotki and Khairpur districts.

A statement issued by the DIG office said that the DIG had issued orders to the SSPs of three districts directing them to provide foolproof security to polio teams during the anti-polio campaign.

He instructed the SSPs to keep in constant touch with the district administration and help polio teams to convince reluctant families to allow administration of polio drops to their children in riverine areas.

He said that 4,365 police officials, women police officials and police officials in plainclothes would perform duties during the polio campaign in Sukkur, Khairpur and Ghotki.

He warned that negligence would not be tolerated during the campaign and urged parents to cooperate with polio teams so that future of Pakistan could be secured and children could be saved from this crippling disease.

Dadu DC Mukhtiar Ali Abro, along with SSP retired Captain Amir Saud Magsi, visited various areas of the city to assess ongoing polio campaign.

He met with reluctant parents, encouraging them to gettheir children vaccinated againstpolio.

The DC and the SSP personally administered polio drops to children to ensure effectiveness of the vaccination drive. `The field teams and officers have been instructed to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated, said Mr Abro.