Their meeting with the PM too is aimed at highlighting the importance of political will in ensuring immunisation coverage rises across all regions and districts in Pakistan.
“It is a tragedy when any child dies from a vaccine-preventable disease,” said Dr. Berkley. “The lives of millions of children across Pakistan are at risk because of limited access to vaccines. We have delivered a strong message to leaders that we are ready to work with them to drastically improve this situation and strengthen routine immunisation across Pakistan.”
Dr. Berkley believes Pakistan has a choice to make for its children. “Routine immunisation is the bedrock for access to vaccines against many illnesses, including polio, so by strengthening these systems, Pakistan will be making an investment of political will which will benefit many generations to come.
“Deaths among under-five years children attributable to vaccine preventable diseases constitute up to 25 per cent of the total deaths among this age group in developing countries, including Pakistan,” said Dr. Ala Alwan. “Pakistan is not on track for achieving MDG4 which aims at reducing child mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Increasing routine vaccination coverage will significantly contribute to decreasing infant and child deaths and achieving MDG4.”
“The need to improve routine immunisation coverage in Pakistan cannot be overemphasized,” said Geeta Rao Gupta. “We realise the challenge Pakistan faces regarding immunisation, and are determined to make 2015 a turning point for the country in terms of immunizing all children, especially those living in marginalised communities and hard to reach areas. The fact that nearly 400,000 children under the age of five die in Pakistan every year from diseases which can be prevented through vaccine is simply not acceptable. These precious lives can and must be saved.”
GAVI currently supports pentavalent vaccine which offers protection against five diseases (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP), hepatitis B, and Haemophiliusinfluenzae type b) as well as pneumococcal vaccines as part of Pakistan’s routine schedule. GAVI also funds measles vaccination campaigns.
With Pakistan planning to introduce the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in the coming months, routine immunisation will be more important than ever as protection against polio is given to babies along with the antigens against other diseases. By the end of 2015, up to 73 GAVI-supported countries plan to have introduced IPV, which is seen as a key part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s endgame strategic plan.
Earlier on, the delegation, which also included global and regional leaderships of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, Department for International Development (DFID), World Bank, and Islamic Development Bank, met minister of state and secretary of health Saira Afzal and Ayub Sheikh, respectively.
Dr. Berkeley stressed that Pakistan is the world’s largest recipient of support from GAVI as the organization has committed US $825 million support to strengthen immunisation services and health systems in Pakistan. This support will be available for the next five years period till the year 2020.
Pointing to the seriousness of the issue, Dr. Ala said, there is need to address issues of staffing, capacity, financing and management in delivery of immunisation services. The president of Global Development, Bill Gates Foundation Dr. Chris Elias said, his foundation is pleased to support to support Pakistan’s polio eradication effort. Dr. Geeta reiterated her organization’s support to protecting the health of children and mothers in Pakistan.
Speaking to the delegates, Saira shared that third party evaluation of the polio programme has been initiated, and that the same monitoring mechanism will be instituted for routine immunisation as well. She pledged a sea-change in Pakistan’s health indicators soon.