LAHORE -
The government has decided to launch nationwide vaccination from June as another child succumbed to measles, rising the overall death toll to 62 in Punjab.
The deceased was identified as Ali Raza who was undergoing treatment at the Lahore Mayo Hospital.
Despite tall claims of caretakers, the epidemic could not be brought under control as patients keep pouring in Punjab and Sindh hospitals.
On Wednesday, three more children passed away at different hospitals while 134 patients were hospitalised. Five cases were reported from Gujranwala:
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of Global Immunisation and Mother Child Health Week at Children’s Hospital, Health Minister Punjab Salima Hashmi laid stressed on improving routine immunisation coverage for elimination of diseases. Salima Hashmi said that deadly diseases were resurfacing due to failure in achieving routine immunisation coverage targets and lack of preventive vaccination coverage. She said that it was regrettable that one child out of every ten die in Pakistan before the age of five. She said that media had given rights awareness to the masses adding that resources which should have been utilized on health sector have not been made available.
She observed that children, pregnant women and mothers were suffering from diseases because of non-availability of balanced diet. “During Global Immunization and Mother & Child Health Week, 48000 lady health workers and over 5000 community workers would participate in various activities from April 24 to 30, along with apprising women and children’s health to the citizens by visiting door to door”, she said.
Adding that a special campaign for the eradication of measles would be launched during this week, in which measles prevention vaccination would be made available to children from six months to ten years of age. She said that the lady health workers would also visit door to door and provide anti-worm tablets to 7 million children for their better growth.
Reportedly up to 70 cases of measles are being reported in Sindh monthly, setting alam bells ringing. More than 3,000 cases have been reported in the province. Punjab has declared a war on the deadly disease and announced a special campaign from April 29 to raise awareness among the masses.
Moreover, the governmental and non-governmental organizations have been up to cope with the challenge. The University of Health Sciences (UHS) organised a seminar in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital on Tuesday.