Poliovirus found in all Karachi districts ahead of campaign

Karachi

Pakistan's Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Monday announced that environmental samples have detected the presence of the poliovirus in every district of Karachi. This comes ahead of a nationwide anti-polio campaign launched by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday. The campaign, which aims to vaccinate millions of children under five, is crucial in the fight against polio.

Kamal revealed that during the previous campaign, over 44,000 families, including 34,000 in Karachi, refused to have their children vaccinated. This time, efforts will focus on convincing hesitant parents about the vaccine's importance. Kamal also clarified that UNICEF is responsible for procuring the vaccine for Pakistan.

The anti-polio campaign is being conducted in several regions of Afghanistan, excluding Kandahar. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah officially launched the campaign in Karachi, stressing the collective responsibility to protect children from polio. Over 10 million children in Sindh, including 2.7 million in Karachi, are set to receive polio drops.

To ensure the campaign's success, over 25,000 police officers have been deployed for the safety of the polio workers. Shah emphasized that there is no cure for polio and urged parents to vaccinate their children to prevent disability. The government is making the vaccine available at schools, malls, and transit points.