Briefing on Provincial Expanded Programme on Immunisation
- September 30, 2014, 10:53 pm
- Breaking News
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QUETTA Sep 30 (PPI): Measles was fast increasing in Balochistan. Thirteen children out of 480 cases of measles reported during January to September this year death have died.
This information was given to Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch at a briefing on Provincial EPI here Tuesday.
If no immediate province wide measles campaign was conducted there are great chances of widespread outbreak, deaths and morbidity among the susceptible individuals. If strong oversight for Measles campaign not done optimal coverage of 95 percent may not be achieved, therefore provincial task force should be notified under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary as for polio campaign.
Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch said that government would arrange rupees 130 million for Measles. It is not more than our children. This money would be provided before November this year, he added.
He said we would take EPI from 16 percent to 30/40 percent. We would clear all the PC-1 in this regard.
Meeting was told that Pakistan is one of three countries where poliomyelitis (polio) is still categorized as an endemic viral infection. EPI officially started in 1993.
In Balochistan initially one day polio campaign was initiated in 1994 and afterwards the same was converted in 3 days campaign in 1999.
It was told Balochistan remained polio free for last 20 months. Five cases of polio were reported in the last two months.
To stop polio virus transmission 95 percent of children have to be immunized against polio. The target has not been achieved in Balochistan particularly in Quetta, Pishin and Kill Abudllah. To ensure that all the children receive adequate immunity against virus repeated campaigns are crucial, meeting was further told.
