PESHAWAR, Dec 16: Saarc Medical Association president Dr Umar Ayub has said that an estimated 25,000 infants die of tetanus every year in Pakistan out of about 350,000 neonatal deaths in the world.

Speaking at a press conference here on Saturday, he said that Pakistan was among those nine Asian countries which had failed to control neonatal tetanus.

Dr Umar said that a country-wide awareness campaign was being planned to sensitise people about the threat posed by tetanus and the benefits of vaccination against it.

He said the scope of the campaign would be extended to Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries in a phased manner.

He said the major cause of high prevalence of the neonatal tetanus was the lack of knowledge among people.

Dr Umar said that according to the WHO recommendation, three-dose course of anti-tetanus vaccine provided protection against the disease for five years whereas five doses safeguarded women throughout the child-bearing age.

He said that despite gynaecologists’ advice, pregnant women did not take complete course of tetanus vaccine.

Similarly, injured patients going to hospitals do not get a complete vaccination course of tetanus despite being prescribed by doctors.