Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab on Monday inaugurated a special anti-polio campaign during the opening ceremony of the Polio Booster Dose Campaign at Lyari International Football Stadium. Under
the campaign, children aged between 4 months and 10 years will be provided effective protection against polio. Booster doses will be administered through painless jet injectors. During the inauguration ceremony, the mayor personally administered anti-polio drops to children. Parliamentary Leader of KMC City Council Karamullah Waqasi, officials of the Health Department, EOC, and other concerned institutions were also present on the occasion.
During the campaign, two million children across Karachi will receive polio booster doses to protect them from the deadly disease and possible disability.
Mr Wahab, while speaking to media representatives, said that access to vaccines for every child was being ensured to eradicate polio, and collective efforts were essential for a polio-free Karachi. He stated that the anti-polio drive was being further strengthened across the city, including Lyari, so that no child could be deprived of protective vaccination. He appealed to parents to ensure that children up to five years of age received polio drops and advised them not to pay attention to negative propaganda.
He further said that vaccines used in the government and private hospitals were of the same standard, while the World Health Organization and medical experts had also declared the vaccine safe. The mayor added that both he and the Deputy Mayor had themselves received booster doses to convey a message of confidence to the public. The Mayor urged citizens to fully cooperate with polio teams during the next twelve to thirteen days so that Pakistan can be made permanently polio-free.
During the ceremony, health officials briefed attendees that hundreds of mobile and fixed teams had been formed across the city for the special booster dose campaign. These teams will perform duties in various areas, schools, hospitals, and community centers. According to officials, the objective of the campaign is not only to protect children from the polio virus but also to raise awareness among parents in order to further strengthen the anti-polio program.
On this occasion, the mayor said that the complete eradication of polio was essential for a healthy and secure future, and all relevant institutions were working together to achieve this goal. He stated that reaching every child in a large city like Karachi was certainly a challenge; however, the government, municipal institutions, and healthcare workers were performing this national duty with full dedication to protect future generations from disability.