KARACHI: Even though the floods did not hit Karachi, the survivors who sought shelter here brought with them disease, including measles.
Thousands of flood victims had no place other than Karachi to seek shelter, said Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed. Most of them were women and children in need of medical as well as nutritional assistance, he added.
Dr Ahmed was talking at the launch of a 12-day campaign against measles in the 18 towns of Karachi, supported by the UAE government. The campaign is the third phase of the mass campaign launched after the floods last year. The first two phases covered rural parts of the province.
In the past few months, the highest numbers of cases were reported in Karachi, he added.
During the ceremony held at the Sindh Government Hospital, North Karachi, he said that 2.5 million Karachi-based children will be covered against measles and their aim is to protect at least 90 per cent of the children. The teams comprise 12,000 health workers, who will be supported by volunteers, social workers and lady health workers.
“We will also make sure that those children who have not received dosages against the other eight diseases, provided under the expanded programme on immunisation, are also vaccinated,” said the minister. Children who may have missed routine immunisation against measles, polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, pneumonia, tuberculosis, meningitis and hepatitis will be vaccinated.
He added that this campaign is crucial since “we passed through a massive natural calamity recently”. Malnutrition is the top most consequence of the floods, followed by gastrointestinal diseases, skin infections, etc.
Dr Ahmed also thanked the UAE consul-general Sohail bin Mathir and the Red Crescent team for their help. Two doctors and two nurses from the UAE Red Crescent will monitor the campaign during the 12 days.
The consul-general said that the campaign launched in Karachi was jointly undertaken by the UAE government, Unicef and the Sindh government.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2011.
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