KARACHI: Rotary has reaffirmed its long-standing partnership with the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI), combining efforts to prevent poliovirus transmission with support for people living with the consequences of the disease.
The commitment was highlighted during the inauguration of the September 2026 polio vaccination campaign at the Rotary Club of Karachi Community Centre in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Sunday.
The event brought together senior Rotary leadership, representatives of the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Sindh, health officials and community members. Rotary leaders joined EOC Sindh representatives in administering polio drops to children, reaffirming their shared commitment to reaching every eligible child with vaccination.
The Community Centre also houses Rotary’s Artificial Limb Centre, one of the organisation’s major community initiatives in Pakistan. Established in 2008 in partnership with Jaipur Foot and operated in collaboration with HASWA, the centre has provided more than 37,000 artificial limbs and callipers free of cost to children, women and elderly people, including beneficiaries from across Sindh.
Rotary said access to rehabilitation and assistive devices could play an important role in restoring mobility, independence and dignity for polio survivors. Through the Artificial Limb Centre, such services are provided free of charge, while outreach programmes have increasingly taken rehabilitation assistance to communities in interior Sindh.
“Polio eradication is about protecting children from the disease, while also standing with those who have already been affected,” Rotary representatives said at the event. “Our work reflects a commitment to both prevention and dignity.”
The inauguration highlighted the importance of collaboration between Rotary, the PEI and public health institutions in strengthening vaccination efforts, community engagement and longer-term support for people affected by polio.
