LAHORE:A seminar was held on ‘World Immunisation Week in collaboration with Mir Khalil-ur-Rahman Memorial Society (MKRMS), Jang Group of Newspapers, Primary and Secondary Health Care and World Health Organization.
Immunisation plays an important role in the prevention of diseases. To reduce the mortality rate of children, immunisation should be given to every child immediately so that every human being can live a happy and healthy life.
World Immunisation Week is observed around the world from April 24 to 30 to create public awareness about vaccination and its benefits to public health. This week will highlight the importance of vaccines to prevent diseases and tell people about the benefits of immunisation. This week public and private sector partners, professional bodies like PMA and PPA, professors and researchers, civil society, parliamentarians, the media, and other stakeholders will jointly renew their commitment to saving lives. They will play their full role and do their best to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.
Speaking at the seminar, Minister for Health, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Khawaja Imran Nazir said that in the year 2024, the Expanded Programme for Immunisation will celebrate its 50th anniversary. The Expanded Programme for Immunisation was started in 1974 by the World Health Organisation. He said that the main objective of all the efforts of the programme is to ensure equal access to vaccines for every child, regardless of economic, social, or geographical conditions. These vaccines are available free of charge at all health centers. And the new HPV vaccine is being introduced very soon to prevent cancer in women. He said that 90 percent coverage in Punjab is at the forefront in Pakistan, but efforts are on for the target of 100 percent. Punjab achieved a record increase in coverage with the help of polio teams in major cities, and in Lahore alone, the coverage rate increased by 16pc within one year in 2023.
With the help of the World Health Organisation, Big Catch Up is being started, in which special measures are being taken to vaccinate the children living in the slums of the cities and those who have not received any vaccine. The provincial minister said that Punjab is facing new challenges. Taking the help of technology to deal with the same, the Chief Minister has launched Clinic on Wheels to bring health facilities to people at their doorsteps.
The opening speech of the seminar was presented by Dr Ilyas Gondal, Director General Health Services Punjab. The vote of thanks was presented by Dr Mukhtar Awan, Director EPI. Among the guest speakers are Provincial Head of World Health Organisation Dr Jamshed Ahmed, Technical Officer of World Health Organisation Dr Imran Qureshi, Representative Bill Gates Dr Artza, Bureau Chief Geo Raees Ansari, UNICEF Representative Dr Khurram Mubeen, Head of Department of Medicine Prof Dr Azhar Masood Bhatti, Communication Department Officer Sajjad Hafeez, Associate Professor of Social Work Dr. Sonia, Additional Director EPI Punjab, Dr Sameera and others participated while the hosting duties were performed by Senior Editor Wasif Nagi.
Dr Mukhtar Awan presented the opening speech and said that the aim of World Immunisation Week is to control diseases worldwide so that children who are born are vaccinated. This week highlights the importance of vaccines to prevent disease and educate more people about the benefits of immunization.
If the vaccine is administered privately, it costs millions of rupees, but the government provides it absolutely free, so we should take advantage of it to protect the lives of our children. Awareness should be given. So that they can avoid deadly diseases. The Expanded Programme on Immunisation provides free vaccination to children in Punjab against twelve deadly diseases: Polio, Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Whooping Cough, Infantile Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B, Meningitis, Pneumonia, Rota Diarrhea and Typhoid. He appealed to the parents to get their children vaccinated in time and complete the immunization course.
Dr Jamshed said, “The immunisation programme was invented from small pox. These vaccines were given based on his experience. Today, this year, we are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary this week. We want this awareness to be spread. Due to Corona vaccination, its rate decreased from 86pc to 81pc in 2021. It may seem like a small number, but 76 million children around the world missed out on vaccinations. Now we have to strengthen our system so that if any such epidemic occurs in the future, the system can control it. If everyone fulfills their responsibilities together, no epidemic or disease will affect them in this way.” Rais Ansari said that 44pc of the people in Pakistan are suffering from various diseases.