Islamabad, September 2: Participants of the briefing session organized by PILDAT strongly urged the government to collaborate with all stakeholders while launching campaigns in flood affected areas. Lack of coordination in handling calamity has caused serious delivery implications in the past and now in this time of difficulty we have faced the same dilemma. Media including local and regional FM channels should be used as a tool for this cause, was suggested by the participants of the session.

Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, MNA, Deputy Speaker, National Assembly of Pakistan chaired the session while a large number of parliamentarians, representatives of the civil society and media persons attended and participated in the briefing session.

Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob opened the session by giving the background and introduction of the briefing session. He said that PILDAT initiated the establishment of the Parliamentary Caucuses not in the Parliament but also in all four provincial assemblies to promote immunization in the country. We feel at this time to address the need of immunization when floods have caused devastations in several parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad jammu & Kashmir and Sindh province. Emergency Immunization campaign is required to vaccinate pregnant mothers and children against diseases like cholera, measles, malaria, diarrhea, scabies, polio, hepatitis and other water born diseases, he added. It is estimated that more than 85,000 babies expected to be born in the country's flood-affected areas over the next six months will be malnourisohed because of scarce food supply. There is also a serious threat of polio and measles outbreak amongst newborns. He said to the participants of the session.

Mr. Azhar Abid Raza, Health Specialist, UNICEF in his presentation told the audience that in 77 districts more than two million children under the age of 5 have direct threats from Measles and Polio. Emergency vaccination efforts are required to protect the most vulnerable group in emergencies - pregnant women and children. Immunization will protect more than 20% of the displaced population from vaccine preventable diseases (VPD); Polio, Measles, Hepatitis, Diptheria, whooping cough, tetanus, childhood tuberculosis and influenza (Hib). Immunization can avert a large number of childhood illnesses and deaths from the immediate threat of a Measles outbreak. Nearly 126,000 diseases and 600 deaths averted through measles vaccination with Vitamin A Supplementation and mothers and their newly born children can be saved from Tetanus. Nutritional Support to pregnant women & children through high energy food supplements is also required. Establishing child friendly spaces wherein educational and recreational facilities as well as psycho-social support is provided is our priority. We are working for the revival of damaged and interrupted EPI Services, support Lady Health Workers programme in re-establishing Health Houses and LHWs services . We aim to integrate immunization during community based interventions � Mother & Child Weeks / Days. Support Ministry of Health in measles follow-up campaign.

Dr. Altaf Bosan, National Programme Manager, Expanded Progrmme of Immunization also presented the perspective of the National Programme of Immunization while presenting the immediate response of Ministry to this calamity. Ministry guided all affected districts for immediate vaccination of all accessible children, he added to his presentation. More than 50,000 children and pregnant women also received vaccination with Pentavalent vaccine and TT vaccine respectively. The most vulnerable group for vaccine preventable diseases is children below 5 year. There are more than 15 million children of this age group are in the 77 flood affected districts. The number of children reached through the immediate response is very small and that doesn�t mitigate the threat of large outbreaks Ministry of Health has planned to conduct a mass vaccination campaign targeting all children below 5 years with polio and measles vaccines and vitamin A in 77 flood affected districts. As a priority, 40 worst affected districts will be reached in Phase � 1 and 37 moderately affected districts in Phase � 2. The remaining 62 districts and 18 towns will be reached in Phase � 3, Phase � 1 to be completed by September and Phase � 2 by mid October, Phase � 3 will be conducted in early 2011 as a part of an earlier plan for a nation-wide measles follow-up campaign.

Ms. Fouzia Ejaz Khan, Vice President, parliamentary Caucus on the promotion of immunization strongly criticized the staff of Expanded Programme of immunization. She said that the staff they hire for the campaign is incapable while hygienic and storage capacity is also a huge question mark. Coordination is missing between all stake holders. Federal Ministry of Health launches a campaign while provincial health ministry remains totally in black. She urged the Government to collaborate with media to launch a power full and effective campaign. Media campaigning is very important before launching the immunization campaign. She also criticized the stipend of Rs. 150 being given to the staff that is not motivating enough to keep them active for the cause.

During the question answer session many issues and concerns were raised by the Parliamentarians. Mr. Naseer Bhutta, MNA said that this approach is appreciative but how is it possible to establish essential health care units in all affected 80 districts while rescue and relief efforts are still not meeting its edge. Senator Sabir Ali Baloch suggested that the awareness about importance of immunization should reach the parents of the children who are in most affected areas. Justice(Retd.) Fakhur Nisa Khokar, MNA denied all the efforts that the Government has claimed to achieve in health sector of affected areas. She harshly disclosed the fact that there are no essential health centres or immunization centres in areas of South Punjab like Jampur,. Shah Jamal, Kot mithan, Baseera and Kot addu. Pregnant mothers of the area are in helpless condition and waiting for relief. Lt. Gen (Retd.)Abdul Qadir Baloch, MNA, said that a practical measure instead of flowery language is required to face the calamity. We need a long term plan and sincere efforts to implement, keeping an eye on the prevailing corruption in the country. . Gen Qadir suggested that armed forces can be sought for help to immune flood affected vulnerable children. Mir Amir Ali Magsi, MNA complaint that no immunization campaign was being launched in Shahdad kot and adjacent regions where food crisis, health crisis along with destruction of all infrastructure has alleviated the problem and even media has no access to this devastation. Ms. Mehraj M Khan, a development expert asked about the strategy designed for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that is not only affected by flood but also targeted by war against terrorism and still facing the crisis of last year�s IDPs. Dr. Donya Aziz, MNA said health is multi facet and we need to focus every aspect separately. Mr. Anwar ul Hassan anchorperson PTV said that media can play a role in promoting immunization and health ministry should go for partnership with media for the success of the immunization programme. Media can play a role of bridge between Health ministry and the masses to spread the message.

Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, MNA Deputy Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan, in his concluding address said that - donor agencies should also be taken on board so that we could see the entire picture. We hear that international organization are doing a great effort but we being a parliamentarians remain unware of all happening. We should see the actual situation. He urged all the Parliamentarians to unite on one platform in this time of difficulty. We all are affected of this flood across the party so we need to be united to meet this challenge beyond the party boundaries.