Karachi, 21 April

Pakistan's Health Minister Mustafa Kamal on Monday highlighted the urgent need for action to combat polio and said environmental samples detected the presence of the poliovirus in all districts of Karachi.

The minister's statement comes a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday launched a seven-day nationwide anti-polio campaign aimed at inoculating millions of children under the age of five, Geo News reported.

Kamal said over 44,000 families, with 34,000 in Karachi alone, refused to have their children vaccinated during the previous anti-polio campaign.

Kamal said this time, efforts were being made to convince hesitant parents about the importance of the vaccine.

He also clarified that UNICEF was responsible for procuring the polio vaccine for the country.

Providing a regional perspective, Kamal said anti-polio campaigns were underway across Afghanistan except in Kandahar.

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday officially launched the campaign in Karachi.

He reaffirmed the Sindh government's commitment to eradicating the disease and stressed that protecting children from polio was a collective national responsibility.

Providing details of the vaccination campaign, Shah said that more than 10 million children across Sindh, including over 2.7 million in Karachi alone, would be administered polio drops.

He further instructed that the availability of the vaccine be ensured at schools, shopping malls, and transit points.

The chief minister said over 25,000 police personnel were deployed to ensure the safety of the polio workers across Sindh.

"There is no cure for polio — only the vaccine can prevent disability," he reminded parents, urging them to administer the drops to their children.