LAHORE: The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) Punjab in collaboration with the Save the Children Pakistan Programme launched the ‘Immunization Documentary’ on Wednesday as part of the World Immunisation Week that was celebrated globally from April 24 to 30.
The documentary has highlighted the challenges and the present situation of immunisation among children in Pakistan.
It attempts to expose the myths related to vaccination of children under the age of five in rural areas of the country and has documented various case studies where vaccination has saved the lives of many children.
The documentary encompasses the issues of insufficient human resource as well as scarce number of vaccinators that impacts universal access to vaccination services.
Adviser to Chief Minister on Health Khwaja Salman Rafique, Punjab EPI Director Dr Muneer Ahmed, GAVI’s Dr Huma Khawar, senior paediatrician Dr Naeem Zafar, Provincial Coordinator for Punjab Healthcare Commission Dr Javaid Umar and Save the Children Pakistan Programme officials attended the activity.
Khwaja Rafique appreciated the initiative saying the Save the Children had always been on the forefront in advocating children’s rights and by launching the impressive documentary it had yet again registered its concern over deaths among children which could be prevented by timely vaccination of children.
Some experts shared the statistics which showed that 27 per cent deaths among children under the age of five in Pakistan were due to diseases that could be prevented through vaccination.
Dr Ahmed said that at least 1,000 more under five-year children might die daily in Pakistan if the EPI services were discontinued.
“Immunization is one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions. It has eradicated smallpox, lowered the global incidence of polio and achieved dramatic reductions in illness, disability and deaths from diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and measles,” Dr Ahmed said.
Dr Huma said such documentaries and other media tools should be used frequently in order to sensitize stakeholders, particularly communities and parents.
Irshad Danish, Advocacy Specialist at Save the Children Pakistan Programme, appreciated the commitment of the Punjab government, saying the vaccination coverage in Pakistan had been gradually improving over the past two decades, with an increase from 35pc in 1990-91 to 54pc in 2012-13. He said it was encouraging that the percentage of children not receiving any of the six basic immunizations had decreased substantially since 1990-91, from 28pc to 5pc.
The Save the Children Pakistan Programme intends to release the documentary on various national channels for public awareness and guidance on the subject of vaccination.