Combating pneumonia: Parental neglect major cause of child mortality

Pneumococcal vaccine available at every EPI centre in the country except Balochistan.


Our Correspondent November 07, 2013
Pneumococcal vaccine available at every EPI centre in the country except Balochistan. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


Pakistan is the first country in South Asia to have introduced pneumococcal vaccine in its national Expanded Immunisation Programme (EPI) to combat pneumonia, the biggest killer of children under five years of age, but greater commitment and oversight are needed to reduce the number of deaths.


The death toll due to pneumonia is very high, and vaccination can save children’s lives, said Dr Tabish Hazir, head of paediatrics at Children Hospital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), while briefing the media on childhood pneumonia in the country at a local hotel on Wednesday.

“But the vaccine’s inclusion is not enough, as in spite of the government’s efforts to provide free vaccines to children, a considerable number remain non-vaccinated against pneumonia and other deadly diseases,” said Dr Hazir, who is also a principal investigator for acute and respiratory illnesses.

“Currently, the biggest challenge that Pakistan is facing in its fight against pneumonia is lack of awareness among parents who neglect to vaccinate their children.” Except for Balochistan, the pneumococcal vaccine is available at every EPI centre in the country and injected free of cost, he added. “For the past 20 years, outbreaks of pneumonia in the country have been killing over 24,000 children under the age of five years every year.”

Dr Hazir expressed concern over the fact that 46 per cent of children are not immunised, leading to an unnecessary risk of infection or death from preventable diseases, adding that this is mostly due to parental negligence. “The lack of accountability at all levels, poor cold chain, malnutrition and poverty also play major roles in the poor coverage of routine immunisation in the country.”

“Even in the capital’s basic health units, one can see vaccinators sitting under sun with the vaccines, unaware of the importance of cold chain.”

By way of conclusion, Dr Hazir asked, “Now, the question is, how is Pakistan going to reduce its child mortality rate to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 without tackling one of its leading causes?”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 7th, 2013.

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