CM Kamal lauds immunisation initiative

Vows to ensure provision of healthcare facilities in every district

QUETTA: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal has lauded the injection programme launched in the province by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance -- a public–private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

During a meeting with Gavi Managing Director Tabai Mafoosa, the chief minister vowed to ensure provision of healthcare facilities in every district of Balochistan.

Mafoosa briefed the chief minister about the injection programme launched to improve immunity among children.

Lauding the campaign, Kamal said the government was taking measures to ensure the availability of quality healthcare facilities in the remote parts of Balochistan.

He added that health centres were functioning across the province.

“The government has been working on a mechanism to develop infrastructure in Balochistan that would ensure medical teams’ access to remote areas.”

The chief minister further said health centres would assist in making the immunity campaign successful.

He directed the health department to submit a monthly report about the immunity campaign to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

Pakistan was among the first developing countries to partner with the Gavi to launch a national vaccination programme. The country launched its first national vaccination initiative in 1980 and administered a vaccine which immunised children against six diseases. The programme, in the years since, has expanded to immunisation against 10 diseases. From November this year, the vaccination programme is also covering immunisation against typhoid.

While the developed world has eradicated at least 10 deadly diseases among children through a thorough vaccination programme, in Pakistan, more than a third of children miss out on vaccines, according to a government report. Only 66 per cent of children aged between 12 and 23 months received all basic vaccinations in 2017-18 and just 51 per cent received all age-appropriate vaccinations, revealed the Demographic and Health Survey 2017-18.

According to the report, basic vaccination coverage differed slightly by a residence as urban children were more likely to receive all basic vaccinations than rural children. Compared to 71 per cent coverage in urban areas, only 63 per cent of children in rural areas received basic vaccination.  A similar pattern was observed for all age-appropriate vaccinations with 56 per cent coverage in urban areas and 49 per cent in rural areas.

Across the world, most children who are deprived of vaccines belong to developing countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Congo, Ethiopia, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, according to a recent UNICEF report.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2019.