KARACHI: The Sindh Health Department on Friday held a joint immunisation review meeting to further strengthen polio eradication and routine immunisation efforts across the province.
The meeting was chaired by Provincial Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Health Secretary Rehan Baloch. It was attended by provincial officials of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), the Polio Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), District Health Officers from all districts, and partner staff from District Emergency Operations Centres (DEOCs).
During the meeting, participants reaffirmed the “One Team” approach, stressing closer integration between polio eradication activities and routine immunisation to improve service delivery, accountability, and vaccination coverage throughout Sindh.
Addressing the participants, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho appreciated the collective efforts of provincial and district teams and said the immunisation programme was moving in the right direction.
She emphasised the need to link all immunisation initiatives into a unified system and underlined that expectations from District Health Officers remained high. She called for strict follow-up, quality performance, and zero tolerance for favouritism, stressing strong oversight at all levels.
The leadership emphasised that quality was more important than numbers and called for enhanced supervision, improved team composition, better microplanning, and targeted training. District administrations were directed to ensure that vaccination sites remain functional from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm throughout immunisation campaigns.
The meeting reviewed the December 2025 polio campaign and the recent measles-rubella (MR) campaign, terming the results encouraging. Preparations for the upcoming National Immunisation Days scheduled from February 2 to 8, 2026, were also discussed.
Participants highlighted the importance of effective district coordination, strengthened Emergency Operations Centres for improved data use and oversight, and the adoption of a 5+2 vaccination modality for the Karachi Bloc and 3+1 for other districts to ensure better coverage and follow-up of missed children. School-based screening linked to child health indicators for early identification and referral was also discussed.
Parents and caregivers were advised to contact the Polio Helpline 1166 to report missed children, delayed vaccinations, or for any related queries. The Sindh Health Department reiterated its commitment to strong PEI-EPI coordination and the delivery of equitable, high-quality immunisation services to protect children and eradicate polio from Pakistan.
