In a determined move to eliminate the polio virus from Karachi and safeguard future generations, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has announced its full support and participation in the upcoming polio campaigns through a comprehensive grassroots initiative by mobilizing elected city council members as frontline ambassadors in collaboration with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Health Department, and Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).
Officials said an awareness and training seminar was held at the City Council Hall, KMC Head Office, where council members from union councils across Karachi were educated on the importance of polio eradication, community engagement, and strategies to ensure the success of the upcoming anti-polio campaign scheduled for this month.
The initiative aims to strengthen door-to-door outreach efforts and make Karachi a polio-free city through coordinated action between local leadership and the public. During the seminar, EOC Coordinator Shehryar Memon and his team delivered a briefing on the current status of polio cases, environmental samples, high-risk areas, and the collective measures required to eliminate the virus from Karachi and Sindh. Participants were also informed about the importance of combating misinformation, reducing vaccine refusals, and ensuring every child receives life-saving drops.
To demonstrate confidence in the safety, effectiveness, and necessity of the vaccine, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab publicly received a polio booster injection during the event, sending a powerful message of trust and commitment in the fight against the disease.
Addressing the seminar, Wahab said the PPP leadership has always stood at the forefront of public welfare, recalling the visionary contributions of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari in healthcare and immunization awareness.
He stated that Pakistan must rid itself of this virus, especially when most of the world has successfully eliminated polio and only a few countries continue to face the challenge. He emphasized that for the first time in history, local council representatives have been formally brought on board as ambassadors in the anti-polio mission. He said these representatives are deeply connected to neighborhoods, streets, and communities, making them the most effective voices for awareness and public mobilization.
