Govt steps up drive to immunize 800,000 non-vaccinated children: Mustafa Kamal

ISLAMABAD, Nov 07 (APP): Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal on Friday said Pakistan administers vaccines against 13 preventable diseases to every child.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI) to dispatch 118 mobile vaccination vans to the provinces, the minister said every fully vaccinated child is protected from 13 life-threatening diseases.
He said the government was sending 118 vehicles to the provinces to ensure vaccination of every child, noting that around 800,000 children are currently vulnerable to multiple diseases.
He noted that around 397,000 children have not received even a single vaccine, while another 463,000 remain only partially immunized.
He cautioned that if millions of children continue to miss vaccinations, hospitals across the country will soon be overcrowded.
Mustafa Kamal emphasized prevention over treatment, saying, “Instead of waiting for patients in hospitals, we must protect people from diseases.
Even if hospitals are built on every street corner, treatment needs will never end unless we focus on prevention.”
He revealed that around 13 million Pakistanis have slipped below the poverty line due to disease-related expenses, as many families were forced to sell their homes and belongings to afford medical treatment.
The minister urged parents to ensure their children’s immunization by dialing 1166 to call a vaccination team to their homes if necessary.
“If our teams cannot reach certain areas, parents must contact us directly,” he said, adding that the government alone cannot change the system without public cooperation.
He assured that the ministry remains committed to reducing the suffering of citizens and is striving honestly within its means to protect people’s health.
The minister said that some provinces were comparatively better equipped, with 53 vaccination vehicles in one region and 40 in another, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan each had only one, which termed insufficient.
He added that the ministry would ensure equitable distribution of additional vans to strengthen vaccination outreach in underserved areas.
During the ceremony, representatives from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, AJK, GB, and Islamabad were handed over the keys to the new vaccination vans.