Health minister affirms to strengthen immunisation programme

ISLAMABAD: A high-level delegation of the Gavi vaccine alliance on Wednesday called on Federal Minister for National Health Services Aamer Mehmood Kiani.

The minister said that the government is committed to improve the health of mothers and children across Pakistan through provision of uninterrupted supply of vaccines free of cost.

In this regard, the minister shared that the government is well prepared to conduct a campaign against measles starting from October 15.

He said it is among the top priorities of the government to ensure that children are vaccinated and protected from life-threatening diseases including measles.

The health minister thanked Gavi for its partnership and said that together as one team they are keen to advance for the successful implementation of the measles campaign and ensure all children in Pakistan are protected against deadly diseases through vaccines.

The Gavi delegation shared that alliance has been supporting Pakistan with more than US $1.2 billion to strengthen Pakistan’s immunisation program, in addition to the provision of technical assistance at national and sub-national level by UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO).

The mission added that measles campaign is also being supported by Gavi both in terms of vaccines provision and operational cost along with other international development partners.

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National Programme Manager said that the national and provincial Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) programmes are working relentlessly to mobilise communities to immunise every child in the target age group to achieve 95pct coverage.

Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public–private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation in poor countries. The EPI is a WHO program with the goal to make vaccines available to all children.

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) was created in 1999 with the sole purpose of improving child health in the poorest countries by extending the reach of the EPI.