World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF have described the 7-day anti-measles campaign in Lahore as up to international standard which is a matter of satisfaction for Punjab government and health department. Provincial Health Department arranged 3rd party evaluation of anti-measles campaign in Lahore by WHO and UNICEF according to which 95% children were vaccinated against measles which is a record.
This was stated by Caretaker Health Minister Punjab Salima Hashmi, while presiding over a meeting to review anti-measles campaign in Lahore and the arrangements for similar campaign in other districts. Secretary Health Punjab Arif Nadeem, DG Health Punjab Dr Tanvir Ahmed, WHO representative Dr Abidi Nasir, UNICEF representative Dr Mushtaq Rana, Gates Foundation representative Dr Aslam Chaudhary, Immunisation Consultant Professor Dr Tariq Bhutta attended the meeting.
The meeting decided that anti-measles campaign is going to be conducted in the month of June in 11 other high risk districts of the province including Bhakkar, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Okara, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Gujranwala, Rahimyar Khan and Sheikhupura during which 11.347 million children from the age of six months to ten years will be inoculated.
The next phase of anti-measles campaign will be conducted in the remaining districts of the Punjab. A total amount of 24.087 dollars will be spent on the campaign while the first phase of the campaign in 11 high risk districts will cost 9 million dollars.
UNICEF representative Rana Muhammad Mushtaq said that UNICEF is taking measures for the import of anti-measles vaccine for the mass vaccination campaign as soon as possible. WHO representative Dr Abidi Nasir and UNICEF representative Dr Mushtaq appreciated the measures taken by Punjab government and Health Department for controlling measles.
Health Minister Salima Hashmi said that the elected government will have to pay special attention to effective coverage of routine immunisation of children against fatal diseases under the EPI Programme and will have to take some such tough decisions for this purpose.
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