KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and Rotary International President Larry A. Lunsford met at the CM House to evaluate ongoing efforts to eradicate polio in the province. The Chief Minister affirmed that polio eradication remains a top priority for the Sindh government, citing a decline in environmental detections and the absence of human polio cases for over five months as signs of progress.

According to Chief Minister Sindh, the meeting included key figures from both the Sindh government and Rotary International. The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to Rotary International for its steadfast support, noting the organization’s critical role in protecting children’s health. He emphasized the government’s commitment to eradicating the virus entirely, highlighting efforts to reach all children, especially in high-risk populations, through enhanced surveillance and immunization campaigns.

The meeting underscored significant achievements, such as eight out of 29 environmental surveillance sites in Sindh testing negative for poliovirus in June 2026, the highest level of negative results since June 2023. The province has also been free from confirmed human polio cases since February 2026, with the last case reported in Sujawal district. The Chief Minister detailed the successful vaccination of approximately 2.6 million children in Karachi’s high-risk areas and plans to expand these efforts across the province.

Rotary International President Lunsford praised the Sindh government and its partners for their progress, attributing it to strong political commitment and effective program management. He reaffirmed Rotary International’s support for Pakistan’s polio eradication journey, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and innovative strategies.

The Chief Minister reiterated the provincial government’s investments in sustaining polio eradication gains and strengthening primary healthcare systems. He highlighted commitments to deploying immunization officers, recruiting health workers, and integrating routine immunization with broader maternal and child health programs.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to close collaboration and accelerating efforts to permanently interrupt poliovirus transmission in Sindh and across Pakistan.