Director General of Health Balochistan Dr. Noor Muhammad Qazi and Deputy Manager of EPI Dr. Amir Raisani have said that parents must vaccinate their future architects to protect them from deadly and dangerous diseases.

Balochistan Health Department and the EPI program are holding immunization awareness week across the province from April 24 to 30.

He said this while addressing a press conference at Quetta Press Club along with Dr. Tahir Zehri and others on Sunday.

Dr. Noor Qazi said that Immunization Awareness Week is being observed all over the world from April 24 to 30. This week is also being celebrated in Balochistan in collaboration with the Department of Health and EPI UNICEF, WHO.

He said that under EPI program, children under one year of age should be protected from deadly and other dangerous diseases like tuberculosis, polio, jaundice, bronchitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pneumonia, meningitis, diarrhea, measles and rubella. Free immunizations are provided through fixed sites, outreach vaccination centers and mobile teams.

He said that the EPI programme seeks to reach out to more than 450,000 children every year. At present, 819 government and 31 non-government health centers across Balochistan are providing immunization facilities to children.

At present 1230 outreach and mobile teams have been formed all over Balochistan. Out of 783 union councils in Balochistan, only 579 union councils have EPI fixed sites whereas there are still 204 union councils where there is no PII site.