MARDAN:Vaccines are a highly effective tool to protect children from life-threatening diseases, said Dr. Imtiaz Ali, EPI Coordinator, during an awareness seminar held at the TB Hospital in Baghdadah, Mardan. The event was organized under the guidance of the district administration and the health department, focusing on polio eradication and routine immunization.
Dr. Imtiaz emphasized that polio is an incurable but preventable disease, and timely immunization can save children from lifelong paralysis. He stressed the importance of the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which is operational in Mardan like the rest of the country, offering free vaccines to protect against 12 deadly diseases, including TB, polio, pneumonia, hepatitis, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, measles, rubella, typhoid, meningitis, and diarrhea.
Dr. Fahad Asif (DSO – DEOC) and Zawar Hussain (DHCSO) also spoke at the seminar, pointing out that polio primarily affects children under ten and spreads due to poor hygiene and contaminated food or water. They urged parents to ensure their children are vaccinated on time to help build a healthy and disease-free society.