KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho has said that waterborne diseases can be eliminated through preventive measures and in this regard mass media campaign and social mobilisation can effectively reduce certain diseases.
She expressed these views while presiding over a meeting on National Action Plan on XDR Typhoid in Sindh in her office on Monday. Federal DG Health Dr Arshad, Special Secretary Health Sindh Nasimul Ghani Sehto, DG Health Dr Mubeen Ahmed, WHO Consultant Dr Jamal and Dr Sara Salman also attended the meeting.
It was decided in the meeting that to combat XDR Typhoid situation in Sindh a committee comprising representatives from departments such as Livestock, Health, Public Health Engineering, Local Government, Water Board Karachi and Wasa should be constituted while five diagnostic centres would be established, two in Karachi and three in other parts of the province.
She also asked the director concerned to engage polio workers too to distribute awareness material on XDR Typhoid and Health Care Commission should also follow SOP. The meeting was informed that so far as many 7909 patients of XDR S. Typhoid have been registered in Sindh and highest numbers of such patients have been reported in Sanghar and Hyderabad.
It was also decided in the meeting that Sindh Health Care Commission should ensure implementation of laboratory SOPs, all stakeholders would coordinate, damaged pipe lines would be repaired and community engagement would also be ensured.
