Health minister stress measures to increase immunisation coverage
Children must be protected against vaccine-preventable diseases
ISLAMABAD (APP) - Federal Minister for Health Syed Mustafa Kamal has emphasised the urgent need for coordinated and effective measures to increase immunisation coverage across the country.
He was addressing the high-level meeting of the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI) which was organised to review the progress and challenges of Pakistan’s immunisation programme.
During the meeting, Dr Soofia Yunus, Director General EPI, presented a comprehensive briefing on the current challenges faced by the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and outlined the strategic way forward.
Minister Mustafa Kamal urged to ensure that all children are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases.
He announced that a new nationwide plan will be developed to launch an impactful immunisation drive aimed at protecting children against 12 life-threatening diseases.
He stressed that the goal of this awareness campaign is to ensure that parents understand the critical importance of timely vaccination and commit to safeguarding their children’s health.
“Parents must not become enemies of their own children by ignoring vaccination,” the minister stated firmly. They must take their children to the nearest health center for routine immunisation.”
Underscoring the government’s commitment, he added, “Prevention is better than cure. Our primary focus is on prevention, we must stop children from falling ill in the first place.”
The minister said that protecting children from deadly diseases is not only a public health priority but also a religious and moral responsibility of every parent.
