The Ministry of Health will formally launch first phase of 12-day measles and polio eradication drive on Monday in 37 flood-affected districts of the country to vacccinate seven million children According to official sources, during the campaign health teams will administer measles and anti-polio vaccine in camps and other areas of selected districts out of total 79 affected districts.
They further said that the remaining affected districts will be covered in second phase of the campaign, adding, these drops will be administered to children under the age of five years as these diseases could spread at a rapid pace. National Institute of Health (NIH) has issued an alert for epidemics in the areas with high alert for diseases like measles, malaria, polio, pertussis and typhoid, they added.
Sources said that Vitamin-A supplementation is already being given to children in the affected areas to fortify their immune system against diseases. They said the ministry has already administered polio vaccine to 500,000 children so far in the flood-affected areas to prevent them from crippling diseases. A sizable quantity of concerned medical tool kits have been dispatched to the affected areas. There is still a shortfall which needs to be supported through donor community, they added.
They said National Health Programmes have been activated and energised to meet the situation while vaccination activities have been initiated in the affected areas to avert spread of diseases. There is an urgent need of response from the international community realising the health problems in flood-hit areas, they claimed.
Meanwhile, health experts have warned that malaria outbreak is expected in the next 30 to 40 days in the flood-affected areas due to growth of mosquitoes in stagnant water. They said that concerned health officials should immediately arrange mosquito nets and coils for people living in flood-affected areas to protect them from mosquito-borne diseases, besides spray of DDT.