Yasmin Rashid opens mobile service for measles, rubella drive

LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid inaugurated a mobile service as part of measles, rubella campaign 2021 at the Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department here on Sunday.

P&SH Department Special Secretary Saleha Saeed and Unicef Health Specialist Dr Tahir Manzoor were also present on the occasion. The health minister said, “Mobile vans have been designed to create awareness of measles and rubella. These vans will travel across the City and carry the message. Punjab will hold the measles, rubella campaign from November 15 (today) to Nov 27. During the campaign, 46.6 million children from 9 months to 15 years of age would be administered vaccine.

A daily target of vaccination of 3.7 million children has been set for the campaign. All stakeholders have important role in holding the campaign. “This is a campaign to safeguard our future generations. I appeal to parents to get their children vaccinated. We have been focused on prevention right from day one. We are taking a number of steps to save children from diseases. Rubella can cause lifelong complications if it affects pregnant mothers.

We will continue to take revolutionary measures to save children from diseases,” said the minister. diabetes Awareness session: The prevalence of diabetes in Pakistan has registers 70 per cent increase in just two years in the latest global index report of International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released in 2021.

According IDF, over 33 million people are living with diabetes in Pakistan representing a 70 per cent increase since IDF last published its estimates of 19 million people diabetic patients in Pakistan in 2019.

“To make matters worse, over a quarter, 26.9 per cent of adults, living with diabetes in the country are undiagnosed,” revealed leading experts in endocrinology while addressing an awareness session and free diabetes camp inside Delhi Gate jointly organised by leading diabetes institutions, laboratories and Walled City Lahore Authority (WCLA) under slogan ‘No More’ - launch of “Stop Diabetes Campaign” across Pakistan in connection with World Diabetes Day 2021 here on Sunday. The experts warned that when diabetes is undetected or inadequately treated, people with diabetes are at risk of serious and life-threatening complications, such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness and lower-limb amputation, resulting in reduced quality of life and higher healthcare costs.

President Pakistan Endocrine Society, Dr Ibrar Ahmed said: “Diabetes leads to life threatening complications. Only way to prevent diabetes is to maintain a healthy diet and ensure lifestyle modifications.” He added that PES is engaged in nationwide activities to combat diabetes on the ground level.

Prof Abdul Basit, Secretary General DAP & Director BIDE, said: “Pakistan is now ranked third in the world in terms of diabetes prevalence. The public has to know how to avoid getting diabetes, those with diabetes need to know what they should do to delay or avoid the distressing health complications and other stakeholders must be sensitized to contribute in the fight against diabetes.”

Osman Khalid Waheed, CEO of a pharmaceutical company, said, “The main purpose of the “Stop Diabetes” campaign is to educate the general public about the health impact of diabetes and how to prevent it by adopting a healthy lifestyle.”