KARACHI, Sept 21: While elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus by the year 2005 is a global commitment, the situation still poses a severe threat to the lives of a large number of newborns in Pakistan as every year about 22,000 children die of neonatal tetanus (NNT), which also claims the lives of five newborns in every 1,000 live births.
“Recently, health managers in cooperation with international health agencies have intensified their efforts to combat the disease, however it will require more devoted, concerted and sustained efforts to overcome the problem in true prospects in view of the fact that Pakistan is currently ranked among three countries with high incidence of NNT cases”.
The Sindh health department has taken the lead in the endeavour as in the first phase, it targeted women falling under the age of 15 to 45 years irrespective of their marital status and about 86 per cent of them were immunized against the disease.
At a media event on Saturday for the launch of a six-day (Sept 23 to 28) second phase of maternal and neonatal tetanus supplementary immunization activities, which was organized by UNICEF, the Extended Programme on Immunization (EPI) and the provincial health department, Begum Khadija Soomro, wife of the Sindh governor, stressed the need for vaccinating all women in the age group of 15-45 years to protect them from the deadly disease.
“All women should come forward to get themselves immunized and prevent further morbidity and mortality which may be caused by this lethal disease,” she added.
She underscored the exigency that besides media, community and parents must be included during the immunization campaign for making the drive a success.
“However, it is incumbent upon the media to refrain from publishing baseless and fabricated news regarding sensitive health issues as it poses irreparable damage to the health causes undertaken by the government to solace plight of the masses.
“In addition, it also undermines the image of government and international health organizations working with selfless zeal in the health sector,” she added.
Sindh Health Minister, Maj-Gen Ahsan Ahmad (retired) in his presentation said, “We all are well aware that polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, neonatal tetanus, measles, tuberculosis and hepatitis-B are the major health problems inflicting the country’s children under five years of age.
“In addition to the neonates, tetanus also commonly affects women, particularly due to unsafe practices during delivery. In such a situation, the disease can threaten the lives of mothers and the newborns simultaneously. Since the start of the expanded programme on immunization in the late 70s, our country has achieved considerable success, but there is still a long way to go,” he observed.
Ahsan Ahmad pointed out that though diphtheria cases have been significantly reduced, approximately 60,000 children still died of measles and another 30,000 of tetanus every year while many more children become victims to TB.
“In order to protect children and mothers from these preventable diseases, we would have to ensure routine immunization besides during every round of supplementary immunization activities.”
The minister said Sindh had successfully implemented phase 1- MNT. “We need to be more cautious to preserve accomplishments of phase-I and to further consolidate position of MNT elimination by the year 2005.”
Director EPI-Sindh Dr Shamsun
Nisa highlighted the major issues involving MNT and the active participation and the role of the media, community and students in promoting routine immunization and ways to achieve MNT elimination by the year 2005.
She said Sindh had successfully covered 86 per cent of the target women, between the age of 15 to 45, during the first phase of MNT immunization.
She called for taking steps to ensure improved surveillance through an active facility and community-based surveillance.
“The MNT elimination should not come to an end with the three rounds of SIAs, but all mothers/CBAs should be covered through routine EPI,” she remarked.
Dr Johnny, chief of UNICEF Pakistan, Health Secretary Khalid Latif Chaudhry and others also spoke. —PPI
