Under control?: Capital’s dengue count hits six

Federal EPI, provincial health depts finalise policy guidelines and strategy.

ISLAMABAD:

Six cases of dengue fever have so far been confirmed in the capital, according to Capital Development Authority (CDA) Directorate of Health Service Director General Dr Hasan Orooj. Previously, two cases had been made public from the Polyclinic hospital.

“As compared to Rawalpindi, the number of dengue fever cases reported in the capital this year is too low, which shows how efficiently we have managed to control its spread,” he said.

Urooj further said the disease’s spread in Rawalpindi poses a threat to residents of the capital as well and needs to be tackled on a war footing.

Moreover, the doctor informed that the delayed 12-day measles vaccination campaign in the capital has been scheduled for October 22. Over 0.2 million children will be covered during the campaign, he added.



He further said the anti-measles drive which was supposed to be carried out in the capital during August was delayed because of the sit-ins at the Constitution Avenue and the occupation of schools by police personnel.

Immunisation Policy and Strategic Guidelines

The Federal Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) along with provincial health departments has finalised the draft of the Immunisation Policy and Strategic Guidelines which aim to improve and address challenges related to routine immunisation coverage across the country.

To review the draft of the policy, a meeting of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) was held on Monday at the National Institute of Health.

Sharing details of the meeting, EPI National Programme Manager Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar said it is for the first time in the country that such a policy has been formulated. Independent experts were invited to the meeting who reviewed the policy draft and expressed their satisfaction, he informed. “Hopefully this policy draft will be tabled before the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulation and Coordination to be officially notified and implemented,” said Safdar.

The policy will be circulated among the provinces to bring uniformity in the procedure of vaccinating children and the kind of vaccine to use, among other measures, he said.

According to the Demographic Health Survey 2012-13, the overall coverage of routine immunisation in the country is 54 per cent.

“There is a dire need to improve the coverage of routine immunisation to 90 per cent, therefore this policy has been formulated,” he said.

It was also decided in the meeting that the role of private sector will be enhanced for strengthening routine immunisation, he claimed, adding that “Efforts will be made to involve private hospitals, clinics, doctors and physicians in improving coverage.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 14^th, 2014.