Quetta, November 11: In order to highlight the importance of Immunization in Flood Hit Areas in Balochistan province, PILDAT organised a Briefing Session here in Quetta today. The briefing session was chaired by Dr. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi, Provincial Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination and Convener of the Parliamentary Caucus on Immunization in Balochistan whereas speakers who expressed their expert views on the subject at the occasion included Dr. Mohammad Ayub Kakar, Provincial Coordinator of EPI Balochistan and Dr. Jawahir Habib, Communication Officer, UNICEF Quetta.

Sharing the role of the Parliamentarians in promoting immunization programme in flood affected areas, Dr. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi, Provincial Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Convener of the Parliamentary Caucus on Immunization, Balochistan Assembly suggested that parliamentarians can help raise awareness and mobilize flood affected communities for immunization through mass media and other traditional channels such as Jirgas, community meetings etc. She said that MPAs can monitor the immunization activities in their constituencies and the flood affected areas and raise concerns with district local government and in the Assembly. She added that policies play significant role in formulating evidence based policies supporting immunization in emergencies for future and government should formulate policies to improve routine immunization in the areas such as schools providing admissions to children only when immunization of them is completed and immunization cards are available or promotion of routine immunization in the private sector in cooperation with national immunization program. Dr. Hashmi suggested that it is necessary that legislators should play an effective role in promoting accountability for the immunization activities in emergencies, as well and for routine immunization. She added that parliamentarians should play an important role in allocating financial and human resources for immunization for the emergency situations and routine immunization activities. She emphasized for raising voice for improvement and said parliamentarians also can play a significant part in highlighting the administrative gaps regarding immunization and demand improvement.

Dr. Jawahir Habib, Communication Officer, UNICEF Quetta presented an overview of the post flood situation in Balochistan while presenting a detailed analysis that an estimated 700,000 people got affected from floods in Balochistan and among them are about 100,000 are children under 5 years and more than 120,000 people are women of child-bearing age. She said that risk of waterborne and vector borne disease has increased since floods and people are vulnerable to communicable diseases due to overcrowding, malnutrition, poor water and sanitation conditions, and lack of access to health services and stress or fatigue. Thus, chances of epidemics of highly contagious diseases in crowded temporary accommodations are high, added Ms Habib.

Dr. Mohammad Ayub Kakar, Provincial Coordinator of EPI Balochistan briefed the participants in more detail about the Goal of the EPI programme. He said that the purpose of the programme is to provide high quality immunization Services that will prevent mortality, morbidity & disability due to vaccine preventable diseases & contribute to strengthening of national health system & the attainment of health millennium development goal.

Initiating the briefing session, Mr. Faheem Ahmed Khan, Projects Manager, PILDAT gave the introduction and importance of the topic. Knowing the level of devastation occurred due to floods when health crisis is expected to emerge and outbreak of epidemics is on the rise, need for immunization becomes tenfold. Realizing the gravity of the issue this briefing session is organized to review the progress of recent emergency immunization campaigns taken place in flood affected areas, lessons learnt and to chalk out the future strategy, said Faheem Ahmed Khan in his opening remarks.

The Briefing Session was organized by PILDAT to highlight the importance of Immunization in flood affected areas. Representatives of the Parliamentary Caucus to promote immunization in the Balochistan Province, facilitated by PILDAT, included the convener of Caucus Dr. Ruqayya Saeed Hashmi. The members of the Parliamentary Caucus who participated included Ms. Ghazal Gola, Minister for Women Development; Ms. Nasreen Kethran, Provincial, Minister; Ms. Zarina Baloch, Advisor to the Chief Minister Balochistan; Ms. Hassrat Bano, Advisor to Chief Minister Balochistan and Mr. Jan Ali Changazi, Provincial Minister for Quality Education.

The session was attended by a large number of media persons, civil society representatives and government officials.