Pneumonia outbreak claims 70 lives in January
Vaccination teams sent to affected areas, pneumococcal vaccine included in EPI list.
PESHAWAR:
Following the death of 70 children in Lower and Upper Dir due to pneumonia, the provincial health department has sent vaccination teams in the affected areas and included pneumococcal vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) list.
The deputy director for reproductive health, Rohullah Jan, who is heading the team, told The Express Tribune 48 children died in Upper Dir while 22 died in Lower Dir in January alone. He added teams have been sent to the area and they will submit a report with details on the deaths.
“The vaccines will be kept in all major hospitals of the province and parents will be required to immunise their children with three doses within 14 months after their birth,” Jan further said.
The number of vaccines included in the EPI has now reached nine. The list comprises vaccines for tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis, meningitis, measles and pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia causes 500,000 fatalities under the age of five around the world annually. Pakistan is currently one of the top 10 countries with the highest number of pneumococcal cases (681,000), which claim 27,000 deaths every year.
The vaccines will be provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI). The Punjab government has already started vaccinating children against pneumonia in the province.
Training sessions for immunisation teams started on December 25 and vaccinators were trained in batches of 30.
EPI teams have been trained for all districts except Charsadda, Mardan and Lower Dir, where training is underway and expected to be completed in a few days, said an EPI official, adding vaccines will be provided once the training is complete. He further said they have 1,200 EPI technicians associated with the health department and 157 technicians from GAVI.
Vaccination will also be sold in markers for Rs4,500 per dose. “All provinces will give the number of vaccinators required for every district,” the official added.
Pneumococcal disease is caused by a bacterium called streptococcus pneumonia, also known as pneumococcal. The diseases caused due to the pneumococcal include pneumonia, meningitis and bacteraemia (the presence of bacteria in blood).
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2013.
Following the death of 70 children in Lower and Upper Dir due to pneumonia, the provincial health department has sent vaccination teams in the affected areas and included pneumococcal vaccine in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) list.
The deputy director for reproductive health, Rohullah Jan, who is heading the team, told The Express Tribune 48 children died in Upper Dir while 22 died in Lower Dir in January alone. He added teams have been sent to the area and they will submit a report with details on the deaths.
“The vaccines will be kept in all major hospitals of the province and parents will be required to immunise their children with three doses within 14 months after their birth,” Jan further said.
The number of vaccines included in the EPI has now reached nine. The list comprises vaccines for tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis, meningitis, measles and pneumonia.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), pneumonia causes 500,000 fatalities under the age of five around the world annually. Pakistan is currently one of the top 10 countries with the highest number of pneumococcal cases (681,000), which claim 27,000 deaths every year.
The vaccines will be provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI). The Punjab government has already started vaccinating children against pneumonia in the province.
Training sessions for immunisation teams started on December 25 and vaccinators were trained in batches of 30.
EPI teams have been trained for all districts except Charsadda, Mardan and Lower Dir, where training is underway and expected to be completed in a few days, said an EPI official, adding vaccines will be provided once the training is complete. He further said they have 1,200 EPI technicians associated with the health department and 157 technicians from GAVI.
Vaccination will also be sold in markers for Rs4,500 per dose. “All provinces will give the number of vaccinators required for every district,” the official added.
Pneumococcal disease is caused by a bacterium called streptococcus pneumonia, also known as pneumococcal. The diseases caused due to the pneumococcal include pneumonia, meningitis and bacteraemia (the presence of bacteria in blood).
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2013.