Pechuho lauds polio workers

Praises them for continuing vaccination drives despite difficult conditions after rains

Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazl Pechuho appreciated polio workers on Friday for braving the flood-like situation ensuing rains in recent months and conducting anti-polio drives uninterrupted.

The efforts of these polio workers will not go in vain, she said, expressing hope that one day the country would be rid of the scourge.

In a statement issued in relevance to World Polio Day, observed annually on October 24, the provincial minister lamented that Pakistan was one of the only two countries- the other one being Afghanistan- plagued by the crippling disease in the world.

It has been eradicated from the rest of the world, she said.

The provincial minister appealed to parents to get their children vaccinated against polio, adding that the Sindh government ran anti-polio campaigns every month.

However, polio immunisation drives in the province had hit a snag after the outbreak of Covid-19 and routine imminisation was also disrupted. The drives were resumed in July this year after the need was felt to fill the immunity gap resulting out of the suspension of polio vaccination drives.

After the hiatus, the first campaign was launched on a comparatively small scale in Karachi, aiming to cover around 260,000 children under the age of five only in Baldia Town, Orangi, North Nazimabad, Liaqatabad and SITE Area.

Following, multiple campaign having a wider scope were launched in the province.

The Emergency Operation Centre for Polio in Sindh had assured that the campaigns would be conducted in line with pandemic-related preventive measures issued by the World Health Organisation.

Appealing to parents to get their children vaccinated as it was not just their religious and national duty, but also a duty towards their children to eradicate the crippling disease from Pakistan.