The Punjab Minister for Population Welfare, Neelam Jabbar Chaudhry, has stressed the need for launching massive awareness campaign for sensitising the people about hazardous aspects of childhood asthma/allergy, as the 40 to 45 percent population of the country is victim of allergy, whereas 60 percent children of the world are facing childhood asthma complications.
She also called upon social workers and medical community to create awareness among the people regarding smoking with a view to prevent TB, heart, lungs, bronchitis and various types of lungs cancer. She said, "It is high time for promoting social mobilisation against smoking, TB and cancer. Billions of rupees are being wasted on smoking annually which is a major cause of spread of deadly diseases like TB, lungs cancer and even cardiovascular diseases as well as other chest diseases even Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD), which is the 4th main cause of deaths in the world."
While talking to a delegation of doctors and social workers on the eve of 'World Allergy Day', Neelam said the government is working on a comprehensive plan to provide pollution free environment besides providing civic amenities to the masses in order to protect them from the curse of such fatal diseases.
She said that protective healthcare programmes are aimed at reducing morbidity, disabilities and mortality caused by seven vaccine preventable diseases namely Childhood Tuberculosis, Poliomyelitis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Measles, Neonatal tetanus and Hepatitis-B by vaccinating all children below one year of age, in addition, all pregnant women are vaccinated against tetanus. The priority targets of the programme are polio eradication followed by elimination of Neonatal Tetanus & Measles, she concluded.
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