Health experts have demanded of the government to take adequate security steps for ensuring of protection of vaccinators during the drive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal region. Dr Mohammad Tufail said that more than 763,000 children were missed during last polio drive in KP and around 622,000 children below age of five were not immunised in Federally Administered Tribal Fata areas due to poor security and other reasons.
Only, around 265,000 children below age of five year were missed in two tribal agencies north and south waziristan in last polio campaign, he said while speaking at press conference the other day. Flanked by general secretary Pakistan Paridiatic Association, Dr Mohammad Gohar Amin, executive members Dr Irshad Ahmad, Dr Qayyum, he informed the polio Expanded Programme on Immunisation EPI had carried out a week long vaccination campaign against seven fatal diseases, including Turbercolusis, Poliomyelitis, Deptheria, Pertussis, Measles, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Haemophilis influnzae B and Pneumoccocal under a motto "Stop Mealse Now".
Dr Tufail said they had set a target to outreach around 90 per cent missing children from vaccination of these seven fatal diseases. He, however, said the campaign was covered only 30 per cent children vaccination of various disease, particularly polio and measles due to security concerns and other social obstacles.
He stressed the need for creation of maximum awareness about significance of vaccines against various diseases. "We are still fighting against the Polio, and amongst three countries, including Afghanistan and Nigeria combating against this disease, the health experts said. Dr Tufail informed around 33,366 children only missed from polio drops due to refusal of parents in the KP and Fata.
While explaining situation of measles, Dr Qayyum who is co-ordinator at local hospital in Peshawar, said they had registered more than 732 cases of measles during 2012, out of which 13 were expired due to not properly vaccination and treatment. Similarly, he informed that during last four months, about 347 cases were registered at a single hospital in Peshawar, while more than eight children were expired up till now.
Dr Qayyum said that the increasing of number of measles cases due to lack of awareness and not timely vaccination course. He informed that about 50 per cent children were missed in every campaign against various fatal diseases in the province. He shared the figure of patient at Khyber Teaching Hospital, said that more than 246 measles cases were registered out of which 13 died due to lack of proper vaccination.
The health experts said that all diseases are easily preventable by properly vaccination, urged the parents to give vaccination course to save from this fatal diseases. They also demanded of the government to provide ample security to vaccinator for covering all missing children in the next campaign.
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