Snowy Owl
Retired in 2010, In Memoriam
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</TD></TR><TR bgColor=#f4faff><TD class=small_txt height=20> Alarming rise in measles mortality</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Govt set to launch nationwide vaccination campaign
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By Muhammad Khalid
MIRPURKHAS: The government is all set to launch a vaccination campaign against measles across the country, following reports that mortality rate of the disease has assumed alarming proportions in recent years, official sources said on Wednesday.
In recent years, the number of patients suffering from measles is on the rise whereas the high number of deaths associated with the disease has also jolted the international health organisations and the government. The sources said the WHO?s recent data revealed 2.1 million patients suffer annually from measles besides annual deaths due to this disease has reached the 21,000 mark, which was till few years back just 17,000.
In order to control the rising deaths the Health department in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and Unicef has decided to initiate 15-day national campaign in which children in the age group of nine months to 13 years will be administered vaccine.
In the first phase the campaign will begin in 22 districts of Sindh province from Nov 13, excluding the Dadu district. Under a pilot project vaccination was completed in Dadu district few years back.
The training of the health officers and EDOs has also begun in their respective districts who will further train the field staff in their areas.
Deputy District Officer, Health, Dr Ashfaque Khan told The News that the main purpose of the campaign was to protect the affected children from further complications and reduce the mortality rate.
?A huge sum of money has been earmarked for the campaign with target assigned to each district,? Khan said, adding that unlike the polio campaign the teams will not go door to door; rather camps will be established for vaccines in the form of injections.
He said during the campaign 460,213 children will be administered vaccines in the Mirpurkhas district alone for which 327 camps or vaccine centres will be established.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=75608
Govt set to launch nationwide vaccination campaign
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By Muhammad Khalid
MIRPURKHAS: The government is all set to launch a vaccination campaign against measles across the country, following reports that mortality rate of the disease has assumed alarming proportions in recent years, official sources said on Wednesday.
In recent years, the number of patients suffering from measles is on the rise whereas the high number of deaths associated with the disease has also jolted the international health organisations and the government. The sources said the WHO?s recent data revealed 2.1 million patients suffer annually from measles besides annual deaths due to this disease has reached the 21,000 mark, which was till few years back just 17,000.
In order to control the rising deaths the Health department in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and Unicef has decided to initiate 15-day national campaign in which children in the age group of nine months to 13 years will be administered vaccine.
In the first phase the campaign will begin in 22 districts of Sindh province from Nov 13, excluding the Dadu district. Under a pilot project vaccination was completed in Dadu district few years back.
The training of the health officers and EDOs has also begun in their respective districts who will further train the field staff in their areas.
Deputy District Officer, Health, Dr Ashfaque Khan told The News that the main purpose of the campaign was to protect the affected children from further complications and reduce the mortality rate.
?A huge sum of money has been earmarked for the campaign with target assigned to each district,? Khan said, adding that unlike the polio campaign the teams will not go door to door; rather camps will be established for vaccines in the form of injections.
He said during the campaign 460,213 children will be administered vaccines in the Mirpurkhas district alone for which 327 camps or vaccine centres will be established.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=75608