IT is indeed laudable that Pakistan has become the first country in South Asia to introduce the pneumococcal vaccine as part of the state’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation. With the addition of the anti-pneumonia vaccine, the EPI will now cover nine vaccine-preventable diseases. As per estimates, over 350,000 children under five die in Pakistan every year; pneumonia is said to be responsible for nearly 20 per cent of these deaths. The vaccine campaign has been initiated in Punjab and the federal capital, with Sindh due to follow. It is an expensive vaccine, yet international agencies have managed to procure it for the state at reduced cost: most of the financing will be borne by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation.

While the addition of the vaccine should be welcomed, there are indications that the state still accords low priority to public health issues. For example, the prime minister was supposed to launch the vaccine in Islamabad earlier in the week yet did not show up. Though his appearance would have been largely symbolic, it would have sent a positive message to citizens as well as the international community that Pakistan takes the health of its children seriously. Also, the government has mostly focused on polio eradication, perhaps because of international scrutiny of Pakistan for its inability to wipe out the disease. While the fight against polio is crucial, the health authorities must give equal attention to other diseases grouped under the EPI umbrella. Regular public awareness campaigns need to be undertaken informing parents and the medical community about the importance of the EPI. It must also be ensured that vaccines are available in remote and low-income areas; awareness campaigns in these two areas are particularly important. With strong commitment and proper planning, it is possible to reduce child mortality in Pakistan.