QUETTA: An immunisation awareness week is being observed in Balochistan from April 24 to 30 during which parents will be asked to get their children vaccinated to protect them from deadly and dangerous diseases.

Director General of Health, Balochistan, Dr Noor Mohammad Qazi and Deputy Manager of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Dr Amir Raisani said that parents must understand the important of immunisation.

They said this while addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club on Sunday. Dr Tahir Zehri was also present in the press conference.

Dr Qazi said that the immunisation awareness week is being observed all over the world from April 24 to 30. The week is being celebrated in Balochistan in collaboration with the Department of Health, EPI, Unicef and the World Health Organisation.

He said that under the EPI programme, children under one year of age should be protected from deadly and other dangerous diseases like tuberculosis, polio, jaundice, bronchitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pneumonia, meningitis, diarrhoea, measles and rubella. Free immunisations are provided through fixed sites, outreach vaccination centres and mobile teams.

He said that the EPI programme seeks to reach out to more than 450,000 children every year. At present, 819 government and 31 non-government health centres across Balochistan are providing immunisation facilities to children.

At present 1,230 outreach and mobile teams have been formed all over Balochistan. Out of 783 union councils in Balochistan, only 579 union councils have EPI fixed sites whereas there are still 204 union councils where there is no PII site.

Similarly, 58 per cent are government hospitals where there is no EPI facility. Even now, more than 1,000 vaccinators are required in the programme. There will be a need for a trendy manpower.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2022