Govt takes steps to fight diarrhoea

Rotavirus vaccine added in provincial EPI

QUETTA: Balochistan Health Minister Abdul Majid Abro has said “annually 56,000 children die because of diarrhoea in Pakistan, making it the third country in the world most vulnerable to the endemic disease.

Abro said this while addressing a ceremony here in a local hotel on Wednesday where the health department added Rotavirus vaccine in provincial EPI.

He further said “Provincial health department is keen to prevent crippling diseases including diarrhoea that takes lives of our children. For this purpose we have added Rotavirus vaccine in provincial Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) program to save our children.”



The health minister said provincial EPI program has been battling with 10 fatal diseases affecting our children. Preventive measures taken by the provincial health department have stemmed the spread of viruses in Balochistan.

Sharing the details of efforts at protecting children from fatal diseases Abro said the provincial government is utilising all available resources to protect children from being infected of endemic diseases.

“The government released Rs13 billion for provincial EPI program helping people of Balochistan against child diseases,” Abro added.

Replying to a query on protesting Young Doctors and Paramedical Staff Association in Quetta, the health minister said, being a part of a sacred profession, doctors should refrain from strikes in government hospitals.

“The demands of protesting doctors and paramedical staff would be met following available resources, but they should end strike to provide relief to the people.”

Balochistan health director general and EPI provincial head said, EPI, United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Gavi Program have established cold storages in remote parts of the province to keep safe the vaccines, “426 solar systems have been provided in 30 districts of the province to keep safe the vaccines. With the cold storages there are less chances of vaccines getting spoiled,” they added.

Health Secretary Saleh Nasir, Additional Health Secretary Abdul Rauf Baloch, Balochistan Health DG Shakir Baloch and other health officials were present at the ceremony.