HYDERABAD, Aug 15: The project director, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Sindh, Dr Shamsunnisa Ansari, has said that 22,000 children had died in Pakistan last year due to tetanus and also expressed grave concern over the increase in the deaths of mothers due to this disease.

She said this while addressing a micro-planning meeting for the elimination of tetanus in the province at the Health Services Sindh office on Thursday.

The meeting considered ways to evolve a strategy about supplementary immunization activities.

She disclosed that 90 per cent of tetanus cases had been reported from Pakistan, China, and India.

She said that Pakistan was amongst 71 countries where the situation was alarming in 50 per cent of the country.

She said that during the anti-tetanus campaign, 3.5 million females between 15 to 45 years of age would be vaccinated against tetanus from Sept 23 to 28.

She disclosed that in Pakistan five out of a 1,000 newly-born children died due to tetanus, and added that throughout the world Pakistan was at number three in the mortality rate.

She said that the UNO had decided to eradicate tetanus by the year 2005.

Speaking on the occasion the project officer, UNICEF, Islamabad, Dr Syed Jafar Hussain, said that by being administered three vaccinations children between the age of six and eight years could be saved.

The others who spoke on the occasion included the deputy project director, EPI, Dr Shaheer Imran, and Dr Abdul Wahid among others.

The DEO (Health) of 15 districts of Sindh, representatives of the WHO, the UNICEF, and Save the Children Fund attended the meeting.