The Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Health Services, Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Barath raised concerns over the lack of polio vaccinations given to children across the country this year despite ramping up campaign efforts.
He sounded alarms as he highlighted that 60% of children in this year’s polio cases did not receive any routine immunisation vaccine.
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“The severity of the disease in children was also observed due to lack of vaccination,” said Bharath before directing the federal and provincial authorities to take immediate steps in this regard.
“Ensure the provision of vaccines for all diseases including polio to every child,” he said, urging the Federal Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme to form a joint strategy for polio-affected districts.
His remarks came as he addressed the inaugural meeting of the steering committee focused on enhancing the polio vaccination programme for children.
During the meeting, he detailed the current challenges faced by the EPI and the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme in their fight against polio in the country.
Detailing the plans for the upcoming campaign, he revealed that polio workers will identify children deprived of immunisation while EPI vaccinators will be responsible for completing the vaccination course of these children.
Additionally, he reiterated the federal government’s commitment to protect children from infectious diseases, saying that the ministry will use “all resources for this”.
“I am firmly committed to eradicating polio from across the country,” said Bharath. “I and the Federal Health Secretary will monitor all the steps taken.”
