The elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT) in Sindh province, recently validated by the World Health Organization (WHO), marks a crucial milestone towards interrupting transmission across Pakistan. Following its elimination in Punjab in 2016, 183 million Pakistanis from Sindh and Punjab (75% of the total population of Pakistan) now live in areas where the transmission of this life-threatening disease affecting newborns remains under controlled limits.

This achievement is the result of a transformation led by the national and provincial governments, in partnership with WHO, to eliminate the disease through combined efforts such as improved immunization for pregnant women and women of childbearing age – one of the most efficient ways of preventing MNT –, safer delivery practices, improved skilled birth attendance, cord care and enhanced access to other maternal, newborn and child health services. In 2024 alone, WHO supported the vaccination of 5.44 million pregnant women and women of childbearing age across Pakistan, more than 0.9 million of them (18%) in Sindh.