Anti-measles campaign in Balochistan starts by April 13

QUETTA: Balochistan Health Secretary Noorul Haq Baloch has said a 12-day anti-measles campaign will start by April 13 that will ensure vaccinating 3.5 million children across Balochistan.

He announced this anti-measles campaign during a news conference at Quetta Press Club on Wednesday. He was accompanied by Director General Health Balochistan Farooq-e-Azam, Coordinator Extended Program for Immunization (EPI) Balochistan Shakir Ali Baloch and Deputy Coordinator EPI Dr. Ishaq Panezai and officials of UNICEF and WHO. Every year 21,000 children die from measles in Pakistan while every day 57 children die from this preventable disease, Health Secretary Said.

Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Malik Baloch has allocated Rs 137 million rupees from his personal funds to launch the campaign in 30 districts with the support of GAVI. “It is very important issue and all the health workers have been trained to make the campaign successful in Balochistan,” he told the reporters. As many as 94 Mobile teams, 2140 outreach teams and 493 teams would perform their duties at fixed sites of the province. According to Secretary Health, as many as five children had so far died from measles in Balochistan during the past three months while 251 had been affected. Around 26 had died in 2014 and 43 in 2013 while more than one thousands were affected.

“It took time because we wanted to send the trained vaccinators,” he said. “Health Department is committed to improve the state of child and mother health in Balochistan and making its utmost efforts in this regard.” He appealed to the parents, religious and political leaders to make this important campaign successful so that the future of Balochistan is secured. According to Health Department Balochistan, as many as 101 children die out of 1,000 in Balochistan before reaching their fifth birthday. Around 97 die on their first birthday. Merely 16 percent children in Balochistan are fully immunized against the preventable diseases.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/national/09-Apr-2015/anti-measles-campaign-in-balochistan-starts-by-april-13