State Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar has said that the government was committed to increasing immunisation coverage, improving sustainability of immunisation services, improving public perception about immunisation and introduction of new vaccine such as Rota and PCV for children.
She said this while addressing a ceremony held on Wednesday in the National Health Services Ministry. Saira launched the comprehensive multi-year strategic plan for immunization 2014-2018.
She said this comprehensive plan is a part of the wider commitment for saving lives through immunization.
The minister said that plan is a package of nine separate comprehensive multi-year plan documents developed with mutual consultation of federal and provincial governments and development partners for all EPI entities at Federal, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, AJK, Gilgit Baltistan, FATA and Islamabad.
“Each Plan has been developed in line with local needs proposing locally appropriate solutions. The exercise served as an opportunity for federal and provincial health personnel to work together with collective nationwide wisdom,” she remarked.
While highlighting importance and significance of this initiative, Saira Afzal said, we will make immunization programme more vibrant and effective. She also urged monitoring and accountability as government has spent hundreds of millions rupees on immunization. She said unfortunately daily 600 children die of different disease and we want to bring this ratio very low.
