GAVI team to visit Lahore on Feb 17

LAHORE
A high level delegation of Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI) from Geneva will visit Lahore on February 17 and meet Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in connection with the Extended Programme for Immunization (EPI) and prevention of diseases in Punjab.
It was disclosed in a meeting of Senior Country Manager of GAVI Anne Zeindl Cronin with the Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafiq at Civil Secretariat, according to a hand out.
Director General Health Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Director Health EPI Dr. Munir Ahmad and other officers concerned also attended the meeting.
The advisor briefed Anne Zeindl Cronin on ongoing anti-measles campaign in Punjab and discussed in detail the steps taken by the government for enhancing the routine immunization coverage above 90 per cent.
He said the development of health sector and reforms for ensuring provision of better health facilities to the people is the passion of the CM for which he is working hard day and night, saying that the government’s special focus is on prevention of diseases.
He said by controlling diseases workload in the hospitals would also be reduced. The meeting was told that the GAVI team will review steps taken for immunization of children and the delegation will meet the provincial leadership to discuss the scope of increasing cooperation for the purpose of immunization of children in Punjab.
The advisor thanked the Senior Country Manager GAVI for invaluable cooperation and provision of vaccine for the immunization of children. He expressed the hope that Punjab government will successfully implement the programme of prevention of diseases with the cooperation of its international partner.