Preventing measles: All set to launch immunisation drive

Lack of funds delayed vaccination by a year.

ISLAMABAD:

After a year’s delay, the federal government is set to launch the first phase of nationwide measles supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs), postponed due to the unavailability of funds.

The number of cases reported have continued to multiply in Pakistan since 2011. So far this year 1,329 suspected cases of measles have been reported from across the country, of these 97 cases have been confirmed.

According to data gathered from the federal Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), 38 confirmed  cases were reported from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 28 from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which resulted in four deaths, 12 from Sindh, 14 from Balochistan, four from Punjab and one from Islamabad Capital Territory. So far, no case has been reported from Federally Administrated Tribal Areas and Gilgit-Baltistan this year.

In 2011, the total number of suspected cases of measles reported in Pakistan was 4,380 out of which 2,533 were confirmed, in 2012 the figure of suspected cases tripled to 12,354, out of which 2,975 were confirmed. In 2013, once again the number of suspected cases nearly tripled. Out of 33,314 cases, 8,616 tested positive. From 2012 to 2013, 600 children died of measles in the country.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, EPI National Manger Dr Ejaz Khan said, “The number of suspected cases reported this year is worrisome and clearly reflects that this year there is a chance of an outbreak, if not controlled well in time.” There is a major threat of a measles outbreak is in Sindh and Balochistan where timely action is required to protect children, he added.

“SIAs against measles are scheduled to be carried out in mid-April and will target 64.5 million children aged between nine months to 10 years who will be vaccinated.” All that is left is to get operational costs from the provinces, he added.

Khan said nationwide SIAs were supposed to be carried out last year in June, then in October and later in March this year but they were delayed owing to the unavailability of funds.

“The AGPR has recently released $4.1 million contributed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency for this drive.” Khan was hopeful that if the campaign was carried out successfully, there would be a significant drop in the number of cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2014.