Health experts recommend increase in scope and reach of EPI

Islamabad

Even though the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) has been running for the last 32 years, overall public awareness remains very low, with 27% of the under-5-year age group deaths in Pakistan caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. Since immunisation is a proven tool for controlling and eliminating life-threatening infectious diseases, and is also one of the most cost-effective health investments, it is essential to devise strategies for affecting an increase in the scope and reach of EPI.

Health experts speaking at a seminar organised in connection with World Immunisation Week here unanimously agreed to the above proposition, given that vaccination coverage in Pakistan is just around 60%.

“World Immunisation Week stresses that parents be educated about the importance and availability of vaccines at EPI centres to get their children vaccinated,” said experts.

Dr Musarrat Hussain, consultant paediatrician and assistant professor at Shifa International Hospital said vaccines protect children by preparing their bodies to fight many potentially deadly diseases. They are responsible to control many infectious diseases that were once common around the world, including smallpox, polio, measles, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), rubella (German measles), mumps, tetanus, and Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib).

Dr. Musarrat said, vaccines are considered second only to clean drinking water in controlling infectious diseases. “Immunisation is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions and prevents between 2 and 3 million deaths every year. Decision of including Rotavirus vaccine in EPI is commendable. It should be done on an urgent basis and more vaccines should be included in the national programme,” he added.

Responding to a question, Dr. Samiya Naemullah, head of the department and professor of paediatrics at Islamic International Medical College and Riffah International University said, every year, globally, pneumonia kills an estimated 1.2 million children under the age of five years, more than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. Rotavirus gastroenteritis is estimated to cause more than half a million child deaths. Two billion people are infected with Hepatitis B virus and about 780,000 people die. All of these deaths can be prevented through vaccination and immunisation.

Globally, 17% of deaths in under-5-year age group are due to vaccine preventable diseases. “Without vaccines, epidemics of many preventable diseases could return, resulting in increased and unnecessary illness, disability, and death,’ the speakers added.

Talking about how vaccination change lives, Dr. Mazhar Hussain Raja, consultant paediatrician at Shifa International Hospital said measles vaccination resulted in a 75% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2013 worldwide, while illnesses and complications caused by influenza can be reduced by up to 60%, and deaths by 80%, in elderly patients.

“Polio cases have been reduced by 99% from over 300,000 per year in 1988 to less than 650 cases in 2011. Smallpox was eradicated globally in a time span of 10 years,” Dr. Mazhar concluded.