Despite a largely successful provincial anti-polio campaign in February, an alarming report has revealed that approximately 237,216 children, predominantly in the Karachi and Hyderabad divisions, were still missed, prompting Sindh’s chief minister to order immediate and strict measures to ensure their immunisation.
The figures were presented in a detailed report by the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre (PEOC) at the Chief Minister’s House on Wednesday, covering the National Immunisation Days (NIDs) conducted from 2 to 8 February 2026. While noting the strong performance, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah issued fresh instructions to address the immunisation gaps.
The report highlighted that while overall administrative coverage reached 100 per cent and house-to-house coverage stood at a robust 99 per cent, the 2.6 per cent of unvaccinated children remain a significant concern. “The data clearly show that polio is under control, but the virus is still present, and complacency can reverse these gains,” the chief minister stated.
Expressing dismay that Pakistan remains one of only two countries, alongside Afghanistan, where the poliovirus is still endemic, he remarked, “It was a cause of shame for us… Vaccination is the only way to get rid of it.”
In response to the findings, Murad Ali Shah directed health departments to intensify their outreach efforts in urban centres like Karachi and Hyderabad to reach the remaining children. He instructed the PEOC to prioritise follow-up activities for “zero-dose” children to build their immunity.
Furthermore, Deputy Commissioners have been tasked with maintaining active monitoring at the union council level to rectify any localised coverage deficiencies. District administrations were also warned to improve their performance, with officials instructed to tighten monitoring and implementation mechanisms.
The chief minister also called for a collaborative societal effort, requesting media houses to continue featuring polio awareness messages and directing local union council representatives and religious scholars to counsel families hesitant about vaccination. “Eradicating polio requires a joint effort by parents, society, the media, and the government,” he said.
A divisional breakdown revealed the specific challenges in major cities. Karachi Division recorded 97 per cent door-to-door coverage but had the highest rate of missed children at 4.6 per cent. Hyderabad Division achieved 99 per cent door-to-door coverage with 2.4 per cent missed children.
Other divisions reported better outcomes: Shaheed Benazirabad Division achieved 100 per cent door-to-door coverage with only a 1 per cent missed rate, while Mirpurkhas, Larkana, and Sukkur divisions recorded missed-children rates of between 2 and 2.2 per cent.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment, the chief minister declared that any negligence in the fight against the disease would not be tolerated and that he would continuously review campaign performance.
Appealing directly to parents, Shah urged them to ensure their children receive polio drops during every campaign to protect them from lifelong disability, reiterating that the Sindh government is fully committed to achieving a polio-free province.