'All-out efforts should be made to reduce child mortality'

Advisor to Chief Minister on Health Khawaja Salman Rafique, while chairing the Provincial EPI Steering Committee meeting, here on Friday said that all-out efforts should be made to reduce child mortality. He asked the authorities concerned to complete homework for the introduction of Rubella, Hepatitis-B birth dose, diphtheria booster dose and DT vaccines.
He also sought technical update on introduction of cervical cancer and asked to prepare detailed report on it. While Pakistan has the highest ratio of child mortality in the world, malnutrition and lack of breastfeeding are causing major health issues among children.
The meeting reviewed the diphtheria situation in Punjab and the preventive and curative measures for the same. Director EPI Dr Munir Ahmed presented a detailed analysis of diphtheria situation in Punjab, pattern of cases in the country as well as status of vaccination in the union councils reporting diphtheria cases in district Kasur.
Secretary Primary and Secondary Healthcare, Ali Jan Khan, Chairman National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group Professor Tariq Iqbal Bhutta, DG Health Punjab Dr Mukhtar Hussain Syed, Director EPI/EOC Co-ordinator Dr Munir Ahmed, Medical Director Children Hospital, Professor Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Professor Akmal Laeeq from KEMU, Dr Zahida Sarwar, Pakistan Pediatrics Association and technical officials of Unicef, WHO and Gates Foundation also attended the meeting.
The EPI Steering Committee is the apex technical body guiding the provincial Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) on technical and strategic decisions. It may be noted that government is preparing to develop national plan of action for childhood development to produce better human resources with healthier minds in the country. A national level working group has been set up which would provide solid recommendation on the basis of its research regarding national plan of action for protection of childhood. According to UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO), out of 10, less than two mothers are engaged in early breastfeeding in Pakistan and this is one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world.