All set to launch 13-day nation-wide Anti-Measels, Rubella drive across AJK from Nov. 17

English , Kashmir - آزاد جموں کشمیر , Snippets , / Sunday, November 16th, 2025

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Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK): Nov. 16: All is set for the scheduled Nov. 17 – Nov. 29 thirteen days nation-wide anti-measels and rubella campaign across Azad Jammu Kashmir including this Mirpur-AJK Division comprising Mirpur, Kotli and Bhimbher districts under the auspices of the State Health Department, official sources said.

Our Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports from Mirpur that Deputy Inspector General Of Police Range Mirpur Dr. Liaquat Ali formally inaugurated the anti-measles and rubella campaign at a ceremony hosted here Saturday by the State Health Department Mirpur by the District Health Officer Dr. Fida Hussain Raja.

Later, an awareness campaign seminar was organized by the District Health Office, addressing to which speakers including chief guest DIG Dr. Liaquat Hussain, DHO Dr. Fida Hussain Raja, Medical Superintendent Divisional Teaching Hospital Dr. Aamir Aziz, Pediatrician Professor Dr. Saba Haider Tarar, District Education Officer Ms. Farrukh Owais, Program Coordinator Muhammad Riaz, Assistant Director Surveillance Sardar Waqas Ahmed, while Additional DHO Dr. Nadeem Fazaldad, District Information Officer Muhammad Javed Malik, Population Officer Kamran Hussain, Assistant Director Rescue 1122 Najam Al-Shahab, doctors, officers and employees of the Health Department, civil society elders advised the parents to get their children of the age from 6 months to 5 years vaccinated to avert the threats of both the diseases to the kids.

Addressing the seminar, Deputy Inspector General of Police Range Mirpur Dr. Liaquat Ali said that the creation of a healthy, prosperous and peaceful society is not the work of a single individual but the responsibility of everyone. We should be aware of our rights and duties. All the programs launched by WHO regarding health in the world are being successfully completed, whereas in our country, whenever a vaccination program is started to protect human health, negative propaganda is first seen, due to which the teams of the Public Health Department have to face problems. he underlined.

“The dedication with which the State Health Department is performing its duties under the leadership of District Health Officer Dr. Fida Hussain Raja to combat measles and rubella is commendable. The public is expected to make the measles and rubella campaign a success for the future and health of their children”, the DIGP observed.

Addressing the seminar, District Health Officer Dr. Fida Hussain Raja said that all children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years in Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir are being vaccinated against measles and rubella completely free of cost with the cooperation of the State Health Department of Azad Jammu Kashmir, the Ministry of Health of Pakistan and other international organizations. Dangerous epidemic diseases like measles and rubella weaken the immune system of children and can also prove fatal. During this campaign, outreach teams will vaccinate children of the target age group in all educational institutions and teams at the village and neighborhood level will gather children in a single house and vaccinate them. There is an important need to raise awareness among the public in this regard. For this, 35 fixed and 50 outreach teams have been formed across the district, which will conduct outreach sessions across the district and vaccinate 59,554 children aged 6 months to 5 years against measles and rubella. So that our children can be protected from this dangerous type of measles and rubella disease. Healthy children are the valuable asset and future of our country, Dr. Fida said

Addressing the seminar, Medical Superintendent Divisional Headquarters Hospital Dr. Amir Aziz told the participants about dangerous diseases like measles and rubella that measles is a highly contagious disease that affects mostly children. This disease appears in the form of red spots on the skin, fever, cough, cold, redness of the eyes.

“Measles can cause pneumonia, brain inflammation and death. While rubella also appears as a minor disease in young children and its symptoms include mild fever, sore throat and body rashes that start on the face and spread to the rest of the body, Dr. Aamer said adding thhat this disease can prove fatal for children due to complications like pneumonia, diarrhea, brain infection. Therefore, I request all parents to vaccinate their children between the ages of six months and five years against measles and rubella (MR) so that our children can be protected from this deadly disease.

Addressing the seminar, pediatrician Dr. Saba Haider Tarar said that measles and rubella are two similar diseases that are usually found in young children, which cause fever, cold, cough and small red spots on the body. This disease also causes mental retardation, blindness and other diseases in children, which is being vaccinated to prevent it. All members of the society should get their children vaccinated to keep them safe. This vaccine has no side effects. He said that if this disease appears in children who are vaccinated against measles and rubella, it has very few negative effects. He said that if we want to keep the future of our children healthy, this campaign must be 100 percent successfull, the lady doctor said.

Addressing the seminar, District Education Officer for Women Farrukh Owais said that protecting the education and health of children is our primary responsibility. The Measles and Rubella Campaign is a step through which we can protect the future of our children. She asked the parents to send their children to school during this campaign. The DEO emphasised that Schools could play a fundamental role in protecting the health of the child. The Education Department is trying to ensure that this vaccination is 100 percent successful in every child studying in schools, as this disease affects the mental abilities of children, which also has a negative impact on their education. she added.