UNICEF and DHA Multan Organize Measles, Rubella Workshop

MULTAN: At an awareness workshop, the speakers organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the District Health Authority of Multan at Nishtar Hospital recently requested doctors to sensitize the public about Measles and Rubella (MR) make the vaccination campaign successful.

Addressing the workshop Dr Masood Rauf Hiraj, President of the Pakistan Medical Association - Multan chapter, said that the vaccination campaign against rubella and measles is a welcome step taken by the Health Department.

“I would request the doctors to provide all possible information to the people for the success of this campaign and cooperate with the health department teams. In case of any emergency, the public and health department officials should be assisted.”, he urged the healthcare professionals present.

Officials from the Pakistan Pediatric Association (PPA) and the Armed Forces Development Programme (AFDP) participated alongside doctors from Nishtar Hospital and private practitioners.

“The importance and usefulness of the message given to the people by the doctors are important because people not only act accordingly but also bind themselves,” said Chaudhry Muhammad Hussain, the divisional consultant for UNICEF-Multan, emphasizing the importance of doctors in the success of this campaign.

The role of medical institutions is also significant in this regard. Addressing the seminar, Dr Shaukat Ali, Divisional Officer for World Health Organisation (WHO), said that the measles and rubella prevention campaign is 12 days long, wherein teams will go to homes and schools to vaccinate.

Prof. Dr Azam Khan, the President of PPA - Multan, said that measles and rubella have adverse effects on children’s health. It is essential to protect mothers and children from these diseases to be eradicated forever. He explained that parents and all members of society should cooperate with the health department and ensure that children are vaccinated.

Dr Ali Mehdi, the District Health Officer (DHO), thanked the participants, appealed to the people to cooperate in this campaign, and requested them to vaccinate children aged nine months to 15 years.