A district level advocacy meeting was held on the occasion of 'World Immunization Week-2023' at Chittagong District Civil Surgeon Office.
World Immunization Week is held every year to protect people from deadly infectious diseases through vaccination. This year the main theme is 'The Big Catch'. 'Ensuring vaccination of unvaccinated children by 2023 in the post-pandemic period through joint efforts of people and global partners'. District Civil Surgeon Dr Mohammad Elias Chowdhury gave this information in the district advocacy meeting in the conference room of Chittagong District Civil Surgeon office on Monday.
He said, infant mortality rate has decreased, maternal mortality rate has decreased. Vaccination has made a big contribution there. The government is trying to bring all the children of the country under full immunization programme. For this, the concerned department should work in coordination. The main objective of World Immunization Week is to ensure that no child misses out on vaccination. Parents are responsible for bringing their children to the vaccination center. For this reason, parents and related parties need to be more aware. This year's program includes the completion of list of children who have dropped out, partially dropped out.
, dissemination of vaccination messages on Facebook and other social media (one message per day), completion of sending immunization reports from district, city corporation to EPI headquarters, one month of list making. Advocacy meeting on World Immunization Week at City Corporation, District and Upazila levels on completion of zero meals/partial/missed immunization of community children.
Dr Zahidul Islam, the representative of the World Health Organization, presented the article at the meeting and said that during the global corona virus epidemic, the regular activities of the expanded vaccination program are somewhat disrupted due to health risks. This has led to the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in many countries around the world. World Immunization Week is organized to avoid this risk.
Currently, full immunization coverage of children in the country is 95 percent at the national level and 90 percent at the district level. TD-5 immunization coverage among women of childbearing potential is over 80 percent nationally. The country remains free of polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus. By the end of 2023, measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome are expected to be eliminated from the country.
The meeting was moderated by District Health Supervisor SujanBarua Deputy Civil Surgeon Dr. Md. Wazed Chowdhury Abhi, Medical Officer Dr.NurulHaider, Dr.Naushad Khan, Assistant Director of Family Planning Department Dr.SeheliNargis, Upazila Health and Family of SitakundaUpazila spoke in the meeting. Planning Officer Dr.Nur Uddin Rashed, District EPI Superintendent Hamid Ali. All health and family planning officers of the upazila, EPI in-charge and field level officers were present in the meeting.
