Intense anti-polio campaigns in Lahore, Rawalpindi sought

LAHORE: Punjab must intensify vigilance and monitoring to boost quality of anti-polio campaigns in Lahore and Rawalpindi in the National Immunisation Days from September 26 to Sept 28.

The recommendation was given in the provincial EPI Steering Committee meeting chaired by Advisor to Chief Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique in Emergency Operation Centre, Directorate General Health Services, Punjab, on Friday.

Primary and Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan, King Edward Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Faisal Masood, National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group Chairman Prof Tariq Iqbal Bhutta, Punjab Health DG Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed and technical officials of UNICEF, WHO and Gates Foundation also attended the meeting.

The EPI Steering Committee is the apex technical body guiding the provincial Expanded Programme on Immunisation on key decisions. It comprises renowned professors, pediatricians, health managers and EPI experts.

It was decided that the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department would hold diphtheria mop up in Kasur district in the wake of rising number of cases there.EPI  Director Dr Munir Ahmed presented an analysis of diphtheria outbreak in FATA last month and its fallout in Punjab, pattern of cases in the country and status of vaccination in the union councils reporting more cases.

He said the provincial EPI would conduct a mop up in the area and vaccinate all children in vulnerable age groups. It was also decided that Drug Regulatory Authority would be requested to coordinate the manufacturers for provision of vaccines in the open market.

The meeting reviewed measles surveillance situation in the province. It was shared that WHO and UNICEF missions would visit Punjab for validation of mother and neonatal tetanus elimination in October.

Dr Munir Ahmed also presented an analysis of the number of vaccines and their schedule in Punjab and other countries of the region.The primary and secondary health secretary asked the EPI to start preparatory work on introduction of new vaccines, rubella and cervical cancer with details of incidence, mortality and resources needed for the same.

The meeting also reviewed outbreak of chikungunya in India and its possible impact on Punjab.Khawaja Salman Rafique assured coordination with the federal key ministries in Islamabad to immediately chalk out plan for prevention of chikungunya.