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Immunization is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent children morbidity and mortality.
By Mahmood Hussain, Thursday 19th September 2019, the article is written for www.babyfirst.com.pk BABY FIRST PAKISTAN and on Facebook.babyfirstPakistan and other social media such as LinkedIn, Twitter and so on. Writer Mahmood Hussain is from Karachi Pakistan.
This article is more of current situation of vaccination and immunization among the children and pregnant women with in Pakistan
Last year that is in the year 2018 a report on status of Pakistan immunization was published by Aftab Sohail Rana. It is quite an alarming and eye opening report. The stated facts are,
Pakistan has one of the highest number of non-immunized children with in world, that is 54%.children are fully vaccinated with in Pakistan, The reported figure within Sindh province is highly alarming the coverage for immunization is just 29%.
Worldwide immunization prevent 30 million death per annum.
The 17-20% children below age of 5 years are infected, which can be prevented by doing proper and timely immunization.
Nearly 20 million children below the age of 5 years are missing basic vaccination, which means they are likely to be expose to the deadly disease which are 10 in number as per list published by WHO.
Vaccine is a way of routine immunization, they are likely to prevent it from spreading.
If vaccination schedule are not followed, many preventable disease may likely to erupt in the society. This non-compliance may result in increase in children indisposition, illness and it also likely to increase in the death rate.
As per the Survey report, which states Pakistan’s 5 million populations comprise of 5 years of age. Every year, nearly 50 thousand children die due to various preventable diseases.
Children mortality can be reduce by increasing the effective coverage area for immunization to the children. Each year 1.3 Million children lose weight due to various disease. This factor establish the safety factor and importance of vaccine among the children globally.
Fact Sheet. Immunization coverage with in Pakistan:
Children age 12-23 month are fully vaccinated.
If we take in terms of % it is overall 54%.
Within Urban population it is 66%.
Among rural population it is 48%
This is reported and publish in the summary finding of PDHS in 2018 for the year 2012-13
It is well established fact immunization provide effective prevention in the children and protect them from infectious disease.
Immunization prevent children from infectious disease within the society.
On Pan Pakistan basis for last few decade’s EPI working devotedly along with Federal Ministry of Health, Pakistan to provide effective coverage but still they have daunting task to meet the assigned target of 100% immunization coverage.
Currently vaccination is done among neonates, children under 5 years as well as up to 14 years of age. Also coverage is for the adult. The more effective is the coverage this will protect individual from serious and preventable diseases.
Expanded program of Immunization (EPI) in Pakistan was initiated in the year 1978 and now well established in the entire country. Now currently they are focusing to vaccinate nearly seven million children who are under the age of 0-23 months. They are targeting against ten disease such as childhood Tuberculosis, tetanus, Diphtheria, pertussis, H-Influenza, polio, Hepatitis B, Diarrhea, Type B Pneumonia, meningococcal and measles.
They are also actively vaccinating pregnant women against tetanus.
Vaccination is very effective as well less costly to prevent child from morbidity and mortality.
By vaccinating your child in this way you help you to protect other childrens.
Vaccine are very safe beside it provide protection,
The below reproduce chart and detail in regard to vaccination & Immunization schedule for Indian children published last year in 2018 by Indian Academy of Pediatrics. This chart is with necessary changes in immunization schedules. Now the published list of recommendation which is reproduce below. This vaccination schedule and immunization is quite suitable for the children of Indo-Pak region.
Information Source of the chart: This is based on Indian Academy of Pediatric which recommend immunization schedule for children.
Below are the heath fact of 2018 with in Pakistan in regard to immunization.
Data source is Pakistan Demographic & Health Survey (PDHS 2012-13)
Immunization coverage in all four provinces:
Punjab 65.6%
Sindh 53.0%
KPK 29.0%
Baluchistan 16.4%
Child deaths.
91,000 under 5
From Pneumonia per year 53,000 per year
Neonatal mortality 55/1000
Infant mortality 74/1000 live health
Under 5 year mortality 89/1000 live birt.
Decrease in polio cases from 20% in 2016 to 0.8% in 2007
Immunization coverage variation by the region / province. Within Baluchistan region is 16.4% are fully immunized with in comparison to Punjab which is 65.6%
These figures are gathered by Unicef (for every child) GAVI (The vaccine Alliance) and Expanded program on Immunization (EPI) Ministry of Health Government of is 20,.
Total population with in Pakistan is 207,774,520
Urban is 63% and Rural is 37%
Under 5 years population is 35,321,688 (17%)
Under 1 year population 6.731,894 (3.4%)
53% of urban population of Pakistan are living in nine mega cities and 46% of urban population lives in slums area, where highest number of children who missed immunization lines in suc area.
EPI is actively engage in performing following:
Procurement and providing free vaccine at designated health care centers.
Vaccine administration of children and pregnant / child bearing women.
Effective vaccine management and transportation from established ware house.
Management of cold chain to store the vaccine and its transportation. .
Four new vaccine is introduce within a decade such as Penta in year 2008.
PCV10 in 2012. IPV in year 2015, Rotavirus in 2017.
Above source of information is gathered from WHO Country statistical profile, Pakistan Bureau of statistic, World Ban Data 2015-16 and Pakistan economic survey 2015-16
Immunization is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent child morbidity
