‘Enhance immunisation coverage for preventable diseases’

LAHORE

Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq has directed that special attention should be paid to enhance the routine immunisation coverage for eradication of Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD).

He said that mobile and migrant population should be vaccinated against measles and routine EPI and mop-up activities in the areas of measles positive cases should also be carried out to control measles in Punjab. He said that in pretext of outbreak of measles epidemic in KP and Sindh, Punjab Health Department had to be more alert to control the disease in the province.

He stated this while chairing the meeting of Provincial Steering Committee on EPI at Emergency Operation Centre at Directorate General Health Services, Punjab, according to a handout issued here on Monday. DG Health Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed, Director EPI Dr Munir Ahmad, Medical Director Children Hospital Prof Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Prof of Pediatrics Children Hospital Dr Muhammad Haroon Ahmad, National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group Chairman Prof Tariq Iqbal Bhutta, Professor of Pediatrics KEMU Prof Akmal Laeeq, focal person for polio eradication Bill Gates Foundation Dr Aslam Chaudhry, UNICEF Rep. Dr Nauman Khan, WHO Rep Dr Raul Bonifacio, Dr Mazhar Qureshi and other officers of Health Department also attended the meeting. The meeting evaluated routine immunisation coverage in Punjab.

The participants expressed concern over the measles outbreak in Sindh and KP provinces and directed the Health Department to take immediate solid measures for controlling measles in Punjab. The meeting was informed that during current year, more than 3,000 cases of measles had so far been reported in Sindh whereas 1,900 cases of measles reported in KP. The meeting was informed that 58 confirmed measles cases had also been reported in Punjab. It was also decided in the meeting that keeping in view the outbreak situation in other parts of the country, Punjab Health Department should have focused on vaccination of migrant and mobile population, besides strengthening routine immunisation and enhancement of mop-up activities in the area of positive cases to check the disease. The meeting gave approval to introduce vaccine of Diphtheria Pertussis Tetanus (DPT) to the children at the age of four to five years. Kh. Salman Rafiq said that Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lady Aitchison Hospital, Children Hospital and Mayo Hospital also be included in the list for surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases(VPD).

He also directed that district-wise reports should be sent to all districts and  teaching hospitals concerned through email. The meeting also decided that letter would be sent to World Health Organisation to get validation of Mother and Newborn Tetanus elimination (MNTe).

Director EPI Dr Munir Ahmad informed the meeting that Punjab Health Department was going to introduce Rota Virus in routine immunisation by October this year to prevent children from diarrhoea and Punjab would be the first province to introduce this vaccine in the EPI Programme.