KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday launched a week-long anti-polio campaign at the Chief Minister’s House in Karachi by administering the polio vaccine to children.

The drive will formally begin on Monday throughout the province, including Karachi.

A target of administering anti-polio drops to nearly 10 million children under the age of five in 30 districts of the province has been set. The campaign will involve 70,000 anti-polio workers and 10,000 anti-polio supervisors. The campaign will run until the 6th of next month.

The Chief Minister of Sindh has urged the parents to come forward and administer anti-polio drops to their children, as well as cooperate with anti-polio teams. He also sought media cooperation in the anti-polio awareness campaign.

Earlier on February 23, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Dr Faisal Sultan, launched a nationwide immunisation campaign for “polio-free” Pakistan.

Read more: Polio-free Pakistan on the cards

while addressing the launch of the nationwide Polio Campaign, SAPM Sultan said that the drive is important for the safeguard of children, to evacuate the virus and the prestige of the country.

He asserted that nearly 340,000 polio workers were included in the massive countrywide drive of the year.

“Being the government, health ministry and health professionals were have been dedicated towards the cause”, he added. “It is pertinent to say that for the last three years the country reported zero polio case”.

Read more: 2.5m children to be vaccinated during the Anti-Polio campaign in Balochistan

He advised the parents to receive the polio workers with respect and not to reject the essential two drops.

“We are committed to eradicating Polio from Pakistan”, the minister said.

Sultan also highlighted that the philanthropist Bill Gates acknowledged Pakistan’s efforts in the evacuation of polio during his first-ever visit to the country.