KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Health, Dr. Saghir Ahmed on Friday warned against every possibility of rise in the number of polio, tetanus, measles cases in the country.
He attributed this as an unavoidable consequence of floods that hit many parts of the country last year in a scenario when a significant population was found to be extremely malnourished.
He was addressing the doctors and paramedics at the launching ceremony of 12 days Mass Campaign against Measles in the 18 districts of Karachi on with the financial support of UAE government.
During the ceremony held at Sindh Government Hospital, North Karachi he said 2.5 million Karachi based children would be exclusively covered against measles.
Idea is to protect 90% of the children against the disease through well coordinated teams comprising 12000 health workers supported by volunteers, social workers and lady health workers.
"We will also ensure to vaccinate kids found not to have received dosages against other eight diseases provided under expanded program on immunization," said the minister.
He mentioned that the campaign is aimed at providing coverage to all children who may have missed routine immunization against measles, polio, whooping cough, diphtheria, pneumonia, tuberculosis, meningitis and hepatitis.
"This is extremely crucial as we had only in the recent past passed through a massive natural calamity," reiterated the minister.
The health minister said flood had its health related consequences too with malnutrition on top of the list closely followed by gastrointestinal diseases, skin infections and so-forth.
He said country in present phase of rehabilitation of flood affectees is in dire need to protect the vulnerable sections against diseases.
Measles, he said is mainly focussed in Karachi where highest number of cases of the disease were reported during last few months.
Sindh Minister for Health said flood did not hit Karachi, however, thousands of flood affectees had no place other than Karachi to seek shelter.
These largely included children as well as women found to be in dire need of medical as well as nutritional assistance.
The campaign launched in Karachi is third phase of the Mass Campaign launched after floods last year and the first two phases in Sindh covered interior parts of the province.
Dr. Saghir Ahmed on the occasion thanked the UAE Consul General, Sohail bin Mathir and the UAE Red Crescent team for their spirit to help their Pakistani brethren.
He also appreciated the volunteers of UAE Red Crescent comprising two doctors and two nurses who would closely monitor the 12 days campaign in the 18 districts of Karachi.
The UAE assistance provided through UNICEF will reach the masses through technical support of UNICEF and would be jointly expedited by teams of health-workers associated with City District Government of Karachi, Sindh Health Department and its integral component EPI.
Consul General of UAE, Sohail bin Mathir said support extended by UAE was in response to the havoc played by flood in Pakistan and the campaign launched in Karachi was jointly under taken by UAE, UNICEF and Sindh government.
Medical Superintendent of Sindh Government Hospital, North Karachi, Dr. Hasan Alam said health workers in Sindh were committed to help those in need.
The ceremony was also attended by Sindh Secretary for Health, Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi, EDO - Karachi, Dr. Nasir Javed Shaikh, UNICEF representatives Dr. Asif Aslam, Dr. Laila Rizvi, Manager, EPI-Sindh, Dr. Mazhar Khamisani and others.
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