{"id":25355,"date":"2025-02-14T10:25:17","date_gmt":"2025-02-14T10:25:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/?p=25355"},"modified":"2025-02-14T10:25:18","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T10:25:18","slug":"urgent-action-to-protect-pakistani-children-from-preventable-diseases-dr-bharath","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/?p=25355","title":{"rendered":"Urgent action to protect Pakistani children from preventable diseases, Dr. Bharath"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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PM’s Coordinator on Health Calls for urgent need to integrate efforts of Polio and EPI Teams to protect children from vaccine preventable diseases<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Islamabad : The National Workshop on EPI\/PEI Synergy Framework and Integrated Plan Development, held from 12 to 14, February 2025 concluded today with a strong commitment to enhancing collaboration between the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) and the Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) organized in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Dr. Malik Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Service Regulations & Coordination, addressed the workshop, emphasizing the urgency of integrated efforts to protect every child in Pakistan from vaccine- preventable diseases with a special emphasis on achieving the goal of a Polio Free Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Bharath acknowledged the unwavering dedication of all provincial\/areas Expanded Programme on Immunizations (EPIs), Polio Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs), partner organizations (GAVI, World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gates Foundation etc.) healthcare professionals, government agencies and specially the Front-Line Health Care Workers working tirelessly to achieve immunization targets. He underscored that the Synergy Framework is not merely a document, but a strategic roadmap designed to optimize resources, strengthen coordination, and ensure no child is left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a shared responsibility that demands full commitment from all of us, especially at the provincial and district levels,\u201d Dr. Bharath stated. \u201cWe must move beyond working parallelly, rather EPI and PEI must collaborate as one team, particularly in areas where service delivery remains a challenge. Identifying zero-dose and under-immunized children is a priority, ensuring they receive their vaccines in a timely and effective manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A key highlight of the workshop was the emphasis on integrated District and Union Council level planning. Dr. Bharath stressed the need for actionable and well-monitored strategies. \u201cWe will not just plan, we will track our progress. A tracker sheet will be developed to monitor implementation, address challenges, and hold provinces and districts accountable for results.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reiterating the government\u2019s unwavering commitment to polio eradication and routine immunization, Dr. Bharath called for a unified approach where partners, government bodies, health workers, and communities work collectively. \u201cThis is not just about policy discussions; it is about action. Each province and district must take ownership of their plans under the Synergy Framework and execute them with urgency. We must train our teams, align our strategies, and ensure every household, every community, and every child is reached.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Shabana Saleem, the Director General, Health MoNHSR&C and FDI, echoed Coordinator\u2019s vison, stating \u201cthe integration of EPI and PEI efforts is a significant step towards strengthening Pakistan\u2019s immunization landscape. By aligning the strategies and resources, EPI\/PEI Programmes will ensure that every child, especially those in hard-to-reach areas, receives life-saving vaccines against the 12 vaccine preventable diseases. I commend all stakeholders (specially GAVI, WHO, UNICEF, Gates Foundation for their dedication and urge continued collaboration at every level to achieve our collective goal of a healthier, disease-free future for our children. Dr. Shabana Saleem thanked the leadership from the Ministry of National Health Services Regulations & Coordination for providing the vison, guidance and support to the teams all across Pakistan.
The Government of Pakistan, in collaboration with its partners, remains dedicated to strengthening immunization services, ensuring equitable access, and ultimately eradicating polio from the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Muhammad Anwarul Haq, National Coordinator, Polio Emergency Operation Centre remarked that \u201cThe EPI\/PEI Synergy Framework marks a pivotal step in our fight against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases. By fostering integration between routine immunization and polio eradication efforts, we can maximize our reach, especially in high-risk areas. Our collective commitment and data-driven approach will help us close immunity gaps and move Pakistan closer to a future free of polio and other preventable diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Zafar Iqbal Channa, Director Technical, FDI in the end thanked all the participants for their active participation and working as One Team for the children of Pakistan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PM’s Coordinator on Health Calls for urgent need to integrate efforts of Polio and EPI Teams to protect children from vaccine preventable diseases Islamabad : The National Workshop on EPI\/PEI Synergy… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":25356,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,4],"tags":[2052,289,748],"class_list":["post-25355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-national","tag-coordinator-to-the-prime-minister-for-national-health-services","tag-ministry-of-health-services","tag-polio-free-pakistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25355","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=25355"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25357,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25355\/revisions\/25357"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/25356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=25355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=25355"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theasiantelegraph.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=25355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}