A gloomy picture: Child malnourishment fueling preventable diseases
On World Pneumonia Day, minister says situation alarming, needs urgent effort.
Child malnourishment fueling preventable diseases. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
In a country suffering from poverty, malnutrition and lack of political will, the battle to save thousands of kids every year from vaccine-preventable diseases is all the more difficult.
According to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), over 90,000 children die of pneumonia in Pakistan every year, making it the biggest child killer.
Pakistan is the first country in South Asia to introduce the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in its EPI to fight the killer disease. But in a country where a substantial segment of society is malnourished and forced to burn wood and coal to keep warm, the vaccine’s effect is questionable, according to health experts.
“Nearly half of all children under five in Pakistan are chronically undernourished due to which they have a weak immune system and are prone to diseases, even those administered vaccine,” said the head of the national nutrition directorate, Dr Baseer Achakzai.
However, Achakzai said creating mass awareness about vaccines is important along with a need to address the root causes which hamper the vaccine’s effect. Talking to The Express Tribune, a senior official at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination who wished not to be named, said though it has been a year since the vaccine has been introduced as part of the EPI, its awareness among the public is low.
A lack of political commitment is one of the main reasons behind this as the government believes that it is only responsible to introduce the vaccine and not create awareness about it, the official said.
“The government spent millions on the vaccine’s launching ceremonies across the country, it did not spend a single penny on an awareness campaign to tell the public that this vaccine has been introduced. The government now claims that it does not have the budget to do so,” said the official.
He revealed that the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) has provided $700 million to Pakistan for three years to vaccinate six million children every year, which will meet the country’s 95 per cent requirements, while the remaining needs have to be met by Pakistan.
“However, the government has not yet met its obligation for this year and it is feared that GAVI may stop providing the pneumococcal vaccine,” he said.
Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar, in a press briefing held in connection with the World Pneumonia Day on Tuesday, said each year many children die of pneumonia in Pakistan. She said this alarming situation needs an urgent and coordinated effort from all segments of society, adding that through effective implementation of the vaccine, 24,000 children could be saved.
“Despite significant efforts by the government and its partners, Pakistan’s immunisation indicators are yet to reach the expected benchmarks for saving children against dreadful diseases which are preventable by vaccines,” she said.
Tarar said that parents unfortunately still do not favour immunisation which results in a poor utilisation of immunisation services carried out by the government. She said the startling statistics revealed by the Demographic Health Survey 2012-13 regarding malnutrition is embarrassing for all of us.
Tarar urged media to play its role in creating awareness among the masses by highlighting the importance of immunisation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2013.
In a country suffering from poverty, malnutrition and lack of political will, the battle to save thousands of kids every year from vaccine-preventable diseases is all the more difficult.
According to the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), over 90,000 children die of pneumonia in Pakistan every year, making it the biggest child killer.
Pakistan is the first country in South Asia to introduce the Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in its EPI to fight the killer disease. But in a country where a substantial segment of society is malnourished and forced to burn wood and coal to keep warm, the vaccine’s effect is questionable, according to health experts.
“Nearly half of all children under five in Pakistan are chronically undernourished due to which they have a weak immune system and are prone to diseases, even those administered vaccine,” said the head of the national nutrition directorate, Dr Baseer Achakzai.
However, Achakzai said creating mass awareness about vaccines is important along with a need to address the root causes which hamper the vaccine’s effect. Talking to The Express Tribune, a senior official at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination who wished not to be named, said though it has been a year since the vaccine has been introduced as part of the EPI, its awareness among the public is low.
A lack of political commitment is one of the main reasons behind this as the government believes that it is only responsible to introduce the vaccine and not create awareness about it, the official said.
“The government spent millions on the vaccine’s launching ceremonies across the country, it did not spend a single penny on an awareness campaign to tell the public that this vaccine has been introduced. The government now claims that it does not have the budget to do so,” said the official.
He revealed that the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) has provided $700 million to Pakistan for three years to vaccinate six million children every year, which will meet the country’s 95 per cent requirements, while the remaining needs have to be met by Pakistan.
“However, the government has not yet met its obligation for this year and it is feared that GAVI may stop providing the pneumococcal vaccine,” he said.
Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar, in a press briefing held in connection with the World Pneumonia Day on Tuesday, said each year many children die of pneumonia in Pakistan. She said this alarming situation needs an urgent and coordinated effort from all segments of society, adding that through effective implementation of the vaccine, 24,000 children could be saved.
“Despite significant efforts by the government and its partners, Pakistan’s immunisation indicators are yet to reach the expected benchmarks for saving children against dreadful diseases which are preventable by vaccines,” she said.
Tarar said that parents unfortunately still do not favour immunisation which results in a poor utilisation of immunisation services carried out by the government. She said the startling statistics revealed by the Demographic Health Survey 2012-13 regarding malnutrition is embarrassing for all of us.
Tarar urged media to play its role in creating awareness among the masses by highlighting the importance of immunisation.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 13th, 2013.