Federal Minister for Education Sania Nishter called for strengthening immunisation efforts with the coordination of all stakeholders to improve health facilities in the country.
Nishtar was speaking in a meeting with a representative of the Global Alliance for Vaccine Immunisation (GAVI) Alliance on Thursday. The meeting was held to review preparations for undertaking measles Supplemental Immunisation Activities (SIAs) and implementing long terms plans for strengthen routine immunisation.
The GAVI Alliance is a public-private global health partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries. The alliance brings together developing countries and donor agencies like World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies and civil society.
The member of the GAVI Alliance discussed the government’s operational plans and institutional arrangements with the minister toward enhancing the health facilities.
The federal minister said the government was trying to overcome the challenges posed by the fragmented health machinery, security issues, finances and hurdles in field operations. She said the mechanism in the area of health would be consolidated soon at the federal level. “We are allocating more funds to buy vaccine. We have bought vaccine worth $4 million for Sindh while the process of acquiring vaccine worth $14 million for the Punjab is in progress,” she said.
She said law and order situation had improved as no killing had taken place since 2013. “Inspection and accountability will help improve the actual field operation,” she added.
The minister praised efforts by the GAVI Alliance in bringing better health facilities to the country.
