PESHAWAR, April 30: The World Health Organisation and the NWFP health department are working out plans to control the spread of measles and neonatal tetanus among children in the province. “The WHO has reported about 450 cases of measles in 2005 from major hospitals, whereas the health department reported 225 cases from the whole province,” said an official of the WHO Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI).

The health department had reported 33 cases of neonatal tetanus — a bacterial disease affecting children at the time of birth — against 53 reported by the WHO during 2005, he said, adding that immunising pregnant women could protect their children against neonatal tetanus, he said.

The official said that the NWFP had the services of 10,000 lady health workers, who were required to strengthen immunization services in the country that recorded five million new births every year.

The WHO started PEI in the NWFP in 1994 with a view to provide technical and financial support to the health department.