Report ANI
KARACHI: The September Sub-National Immunization Days (SNIDs) for polio vaccination were inaugurated on Sunday at the Rotary Club of Karachi Community Centre in Gulistan-e-Jauhar.
National Chair of the PolioPlus Committee and Past Trustee of The Rotary Foundation, Aziz Memon, along with Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) Focal Person Dr. Ahmad Ali Shaikh, Rotary District 3271 Governor Shahzad Sabir and District Governor-Elect (DGE) Fahad Sikandar, inaugurated the September SNIDs.
Humayun Qureshi, President of the Rotary Club of Karachi, and several Rotarians also attended the inauguration ceremony.
The upcoming SNIDs, scheduled from September 21 to 27, 2026, will target approximately 31 million children under the age of five in 115 high-risk districts across Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.
Three large-scale nationwide polio vaccination campaigns have already been conducted since the beginning of the year, covering around 45 million children. In selected high-risk areas, Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) has been administered alongside fractional Injectable Polio Vaccine (fIPV) to strengthen immunity, particularly among vulnerable children.
Speaking on the occasion, Aziz Memon said, “Polio eradication is a collective responsibility. Parents and caregivers play a crucial role by ensuring their children receive all the recommended doses, including routine immunizations.”
He said Rotarians facilitate frontline polio workers during vaccination campaigns and play an important role in monitoring NIDs and SNIDs in their respective districts. They also engage with local community leaders to promote vaccination and counter misinformation and misconceptions about polio immunization.
Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus transmission has not yet been interrupted. Pakistan has, however, recorded a significant reduction in polio cases over the years, with continued vaccination efforts remaining critical to achieving complete eradication.
