Immunization coverage is essential for elimination of diseases: Saleema Hashmi

Lahore: Health Minister Punjab Salima Hashmi said that improving routine immunization coverage is essential for elimination of diseases. She said that provision of preventive vaccination is fundamental right of every child and mother which must be available to them, as without making preventive vaccination programme successful, the future of our children would remain unsafe.

She expressed these views while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Global Immunization and Mother Children Health Week at Children Hospital here today. She said the deadly diseases are reoccurring due to non-achievement of routine immunization coverage targets and lessening of routine preventive vaccination coverage.

Director General Health Punjab Dr. Tavir Ahmed, Dean Institute of Child Health Prof. Tahir Masood, Medical Director Children Hospital Dr. Ahsan Rathor, Prof. Tariq Bhutta, Prof. Sajid Maqbool Khan, representatives of UNICEF, World Health Organization as well as Provincial Coordinator of Lady Health Worker Programme Dr. Akhtar Rashid Malik and other senior doctors were present on the occasion.

Talking to media representatives, Salima Hashmi said that it is highly regrettable that one child out of every ten dies in Pakistan before the age of five. She said media has made people extremely aware about their rights, and added that resources which should have been utilized on health sector have not been available to it. She observed that children, pregnant women and mothers are suffering from diseases because of non-availability of balanced diet.

She informed that during Global Immunization and Mother & Child Health Week 48 thousand lady health workers and more than five thousand community workers would participate in various activities from 24 April to 30th April, along with apprising women and children’s health to the citizens by visiting door to door.

She said special campaign for eradication of measles would be launched during this week, and measles prevention vaccination would be made available to the children of six months to ten years age. She said that the lady health workers would also visit door to door and provide anti-worm tablets to 70 lakh children for their better growth. She said that special arrangements have been made for preventive vaccination of children during this week and more than six lakh children who have not been vaccinated before, would be vaccinated during this week.

She said effective awareness against measles disease would also be provided to the citizens along with distribution of pamphlets door to door regarding dengue fever, pneumonia, dysentery by lady health visitors. She said more than ten lakh pregnant women would also be provided preventive vaccination and pregnant women would be persuaded to have their regards medical checkup from an expert gynecologist, LHVs or trained birth attendant in order to get rid of traditional midwives.