KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr. Azra Pechuho chaired a high-level meeting of the Provincial Steering Committee on Thursday to review province-wide preparations for the Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign beginning on November 17.
The committee was informed that all districts have received vaccine supplies before the November 15 deadline, while banners and awareness materials have also been dispatched. More than 30,000 frontline workers have been mobilized for the drive, including 6,532 vaccinators, an equal number of team assistants, 393 second-level supervisors, 1,645 first-level supervisors, 5,219 additional team assistants, and 5,219 social mobilizers. The campaign aims to vaccinate 8.2 million children with the MR vaccine and 8.4 million children with the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) across 30 districts.
Dr. Pechuho directed that all vaccinators must strictly meet their daily targets and warned that no negligence would be tolerated. She said vaccination has been made legally mandatory, adding that action would be taken against parents or institutions refusing cooperation. The Minister also cautioned that licenses of non-cooperative private or public schools would be cancelled and such institutions could face closure.
It was reported that 8.6 million MR and 9.4 million OPV doses have been dispatched to divisional stores across Sindh. The Minister instructed District Health Officers (DHOs) to monitor vaccine usage daily, maintain proper records of utilized and leftover doses, and ensure safe disposal of syringes and medical waste, with a dedicated waste management officer appointed in every Union Council.
She ordered special teams to address refusal cases on a daily basis to ensure full coverage. Dr. Pechuho said the performance of DHOs in Polio, HPV, MR, and school screening activities would be reflected in their Annual Confidential Reports, warning that negligence would affect promotions.
All DHOs briefed the Minister that preparations had been completed, with contingency plans in place. Dr. Pechuho directed DHOs and Deputy Commissioners to personally supervise the campaign, particularly in high-risk areas.
She also issued strict instructions that misinformation or false propaganda regarding the campaign would be dealt with under the National Cybercrime Act, warning that individuals or organizations spreading harmful content would face legal consequences.
The meeting praised the Sindh Information Department for its effective awareness and publicity efforts ahead of the vaccination drive.
