Maternal and neonatal tetanus eradicated from Sindh province, Pakistan

At a meeting under the chairmanship of Rehan Iqbal Baloch, Sindh Health Secretary, and in the presence of officials from the Federal Directorate of Immunization, the Expanded Program on Immunization Sindh (EPI-Sindh), UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO) and others, the Pakistan Sindh province was declared “maternal and neonatal tetanus-free”. The validation mission, led by Dr Nasir Yusuf of WHO, shared relevant data from the sampled districts of Sindh and confirmed the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus through rigorous assessments supported by UNICEF, WHO, and provincial health teams. As highlighted by the WHO, maternal and neonatal tetanus has been a significant concern, particularly in contexts where hygiene standards are inadequate during childbirth and umbilical cord care, and where there are disparities in access to immunization and wider maternal, newborn and child health services. The WHO representative remarked that, to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus successfully, the government must certify that “there is less than one death from neonatal tetanus per 1,000 babies born” in the relevant region. The Sindh Health Secretary said that through collaborative efforts, the province joined Punjab in eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus. Vaccination coverage now extends to 75% of Pakistan’s total population.