Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Dr. Faisal Sultan on Friday launched a nationwide campaign to immunize more than 90 million children against the deadly measles and rubella diseases across the country. More than 386,000 health professionals, including 76,000 vaccinators and over 143,000 social mobilizers were mobilized for the two-week campaign supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF, WHO and partners. The campaign targets children aged between nine months and 15 years and those aged up to five will also receive the oral polio vaccine. “Measles and Rubella are contagious diseases and can have severe complications for children even death. An effective vaccine against Measles and Rubella is available to prevent children from the two diseases,” Dr Faisal said addressing the occasion. He said, “I urge both the front line workers to work with dedication and the caregivers to express their support by vaccinating their children against the diseases. “Measles and rubella are a couple of devastating diseases that cause severe sickness and can take lives,” said Dr. Muhammad Akram Shah, National Programme Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). In recent years cases have surged dramatically in Pakistan. “Measles cases rose alarmingly affecting thousands of children and claiming many young lives. We need to vaccinate every child”, said Dr. Shah. He said that the campaign will be conducted in public and private health facilities, outreach centres as well as educational facilities, for 12 days from November 15 to November 27. Nearly half of the children who are to be immunized are enrolled in schools. The MR vaccine will be available in the routine immunization schedule for children at nine months and 15 months of age. “The measles and rubella campaign will move us not only one step closer to maintaining measles elimination and accelerating rubella control, but also one step closer to reducing the overall child mortality across Pakistan. Every child has the right to access life-saving healthcare,” said Dr. Palitha Mahipala, WHO Representative in Pakistan. He said, “WHO is partnering with the Government of Pakistan and supports to ensure that all children get vaccinated against Measles and Rubella. We appreciate the strong political commitment of the Government of Pakistan towards the measles elimination for the benefit of all children in Pakistan.” “Today’s world is still grappling with the very contagious measles and rubella viruses, none of which has gone away despite being entirely preventable with a simple vaccine,” said Ms. Aida Girma, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan. She said, “UNICEF is proud to support the government to ensure that safe, effective vaccines are available and delivered nationwide. By working together, we can contribute towards the global eradication of measles and rubella, to the benefit of children in Pakistan and across the world.” He said that Pakistan has demonstrated unwavering commitment toward restoring and strengthening immunization services across the country over the past years, with promising results. Targeting every child is a priority to help ensure that the vaccination is equitable for every child, she added. PUC urges Islamic world leadership to help averting looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) on Friday urged the leaders of Islamic World to immediately start a consultative process to address the looming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, said Special Representative to the Prime Minister for Interfaith Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi. Talking to media, Ashrafi, who was also PUC Chairman, said the letter has been written to over 70 leaders, religious scholars and others, asking them to initiate a dialogue process with the incumbent government in Afghanistan with objectives to resolve all the prevailing problems and issues. With the onset of winter, the crisis from food to medicine and the rising activities of international terrorists organizations in Afghanistan, it is becoming clear and evident that if the Islamic world and world leadership do not resolve the issue through dialogue and cooperation with Afghanistan (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan), the possible threats of extremism and terrorism could increase once more not only for the countries of the region but also for the world, said the letter. “In accordance with the teachings of Qur’an-o-Sunnah and being the head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, the most important and sensitive humanitarian issue I am going to bring in your kind information is the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan,” writes Asharafi. “You know that Afghanistan has been in a state of war for the last 40 years and Pakistan being a neighbor of Afghanistan has suffered a lot from the problems that have surfaced in Afghanistan.” The letter said that Pakistan have courageously battled hard against the menace of extremism and terrorism. Pakistan has achieved great success in the war against extremism and terrorism with the cooperation of Pakistan’s Army, security institutions of the country and national unity. “Afghan Taliban have established their government in Afghanistan (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) now and Afghan Taliban have repeatedly stated that their territory will neither be used against any country nor any international terrorist organization will be allowed to shelter in Afghanistan. Following the announcement of Afghan Taliban, there is a need to open the way for dialogue and cooperation with the Afghan people and Afghanistan government for peace and stability in the country. The world leadership and the Muslim world should put forward their reservations before Afghan Taliban and the the leadership of especially Islamic world should help resolving issues through dialogue, says the letter. Amidst the current situation in Afghanistan, the activities of international extremist and terrorist organizations are also coming to the fore. If the attitude of non-cooperation is adopted towards Afghanistan, it will weaken Afghanistan, the Afghan people and the peace loving forces, it said. He said the letter has been issued to leading 70 dignitaries of the Muslim World including Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Secretary General of Rabita-e-Alam-e-Islami Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Kareem Al-Issa, Sheikh Al-Azhar, Muft-i-Azam of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Muft-i-Azam UAE, Muft-i-Azam of Egypt, Minister of Endowments of Iraq, Minister of Endowments of Kuwait.