ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to launch a largescale anti-measles drive in the city, with a special focus on slum areas.

The decision was taken in a meeting on Monday chaired by the CDA chairman, Maroof Afzal.

“Although Islamabad has never had a serious outbreak of measles or any other disease in the past but the situation is different now. More and more people from remote areas are migrating to cities,” said Dr Hassan Urooj, director at the CDA Health Services Directorate.

“A majority of new settlers in the city live in slums,” he said.

Dr Urooj said that health needs of underprivileged people such as beggars are neglected and many of them do not even have access to government hospitals. He said that ignoring their health needs can also cause diseases to spread among residents of the city.

“This is why the drive will focus on slums,” he said.

During the meeting on Monday, it was decided that the drive which will be launched in the first week of February will continue for 12 days. As many as 260,000 children between the ages of six months and 10 years will be vaccinated. The district administration will work alongside Health Services Directorate in carrying out the drive in the federal capital.

Member Administration Amer Ali Ahmed will be overseeing the campaign. At the meeting, Mr Ahmed said that this drive will also help the CDA map the needs of people in slum areas.

Additionally, it was decided that anti-measles centres will be established at all major hospitals, clinics and schools of Islamabad to vaccinate children.

Although, the CDA will be providing the human resource for the campaign, major costs will be borne by World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2015

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