EPI Cost $ 175.894mn In Pak Annuall: Ruqayya Hashmi

The Baloch Hal News

QUETTA, July 2: Balochistan Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination Dr. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi has said that Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) cost $ 47.767 million to $ 175.894 million in Pakistan every year, urging the Parliamentarians to play their due role for making it successful.

According to a press release issued on Friday, addressing a programme Immunization in Pakistan organized by Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) here, Dr Hashmi said: It is responsibility of Parliamentarians to come forward for playing their vital role to make people of their country healthy. At one hand, some elements use to put obstacles in the way of Expanded Program on Immunization, other hand legislators can foil their nefarious designs by convincing masses to get their children immunized against deadly diseases.

EPI focused on building sustainable routine immunization system to protect children against childhood diseases through administration of vaccines during infancy, she said. PILDAT through EPI seeks to immunize children against seven EPI target diseases, she added.

She opined that politicians would have to perform their role to foil propaganda against Immunization Program. She maintained that society’s trust in EPI would enhance when the Parliamentarians themselves would get their children immunized besides participating in conferences, seminars and workshop on the issue.

She also urged the media to encourage volunteers working hard to get goals of EPI. She viewed that both media and members Parliament could weaken elements trying to discourage persons who have been working to strengthen the Immunization Program.

She noted that circumstances for EPI are not bad in Balochistan than Northern parts of the country what she said where some fanatics put hurdles to health related programs.

She revealed that three districts of Balochistan-Quetta, Killa Abdullah and Pashin were most vulnerable to deadly diseases. She said that during year 2008, 120 polio cases were detected in the province. She added that only elected representatives who have a specific influence on their people could remove confusion and misunderstanding of masses regarding the Immunization.

Dr Hashmi emphasized the need that elected representatives should ensure that recruitment in Health Department would be made only on merit and no political influence would be used in this regard.

She said that vaccination increases immunity in the body against infection and virus attack. She noted that vaccination not only control spread of polio, tuberculoses, hepatitis, measles but also could save a human from many other deadly diseases.

Speaker Balochistan Assembly Muhammad Aslam Bhootani, and Parliamentarians including Ms Husan Bano, Ms Zarina Zehri, Mir Ali Madad Jatak, Jan Ali Changezi, Ms Nasreen Khaitran, Ms Ghazala Gola, Ms Rahila Durrani, Abdul Khaliq Achakzai, Ms Shahida Rauf and Executive Director PILDAT Ahmed Bilal Mehboob were also present.