Preventable disease: PPAF launches anti-measles awareness campaign

Primary focus on improving sanitation and other preventative measures.

LAHORE:

The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) has launched an awareness campaign among the poor and marginalised in the Punjab and Sindh to address the current measles outbreak.

Last Friday, PPAF organised an anti-measles orientation workshop at a local hotel. Zaffar Pervez Sabri, PPAF Senior Group Head of Public Goods and Services, presided over the workshop, which was attended by over 100 representatives of PPAF and its partner organisations, local support and village groups, and other community organisations.



Sabri emphasised that measles is a preventable disease if vaccines and other preventive measures are adopted effectively. He stressed that timely immunisation was important and that every child between two months and 10 years of age should be immunised. He added that the use of contaminated water and unhygienic living conditions are also major causes of measles, highlighting in particular the hazardous impact of open defecation. Sabri also said that the disease is treatable, noting that people should look out for common symptoms such as coughing, red-eyes, and the appearance of red spots on the face and then hands and feet. If the disease is not diagnosed in time, it can lead to high temperatures and low salt levels, which can ultimately cause death.



Sabri added that a network of PPAF community organisations, partners, local support organisations, village organisations, schools, health centres, and others plan to further sensitise communities to the measles outbreak to prevent children from contracting the disease.

Starting May 15, PPAF launched a comprehensive radio campaign on FM-93 of Radio Pakistan in Sindhi and Thari languages to alert communities to the measles outbreak and urge them to take preventive measures. The radio campaign, which will continue through June 15, stresses the importance of immunisation of children, as well as timely diagnosis and treatment.

PPAF has also planned to launch a campaign in six union councils in Layyah district to create awareness about the harmful effects of open defecation and urge community-led improved sanitation.

“The purpose of the campaign is to trigger behavioural change through self-realisation of the dangerous effects of open defecation, bring change in sanitation behaviours, and come up with possible ways of addressing this issue and disseminating it collectively. The key focus of this campaign is pinpointing harmful effects of poor sanitation and ways of adopting healthy sanitation practices,” Sabri said.

Sabri noted that more than 70 percent of Pakistan’s population does not have access to a proper sanitation system, which is one of the main causes of infectious and abdominal diseases that lead to the deaths of two million children every year.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 15^th, 2013.