Vaccination importance highlighted KARACHI, April 8 (APP) - Eradication of small pox and the marked decrease in cases of diphtheria, whooping cough, and polio are testimony to the role vaccines have played in preventing life-threatening illnesses. This was stated by Secretary-General Pakistan Pediatric Association Dr. M.A. Arif, at a forum to discuss importance and value of vaccination as a preventive measure against diseases, safeguarding the future of children in Pakistan. The event, organised as part of World Health Day programmes, was also addressed by Director, Institute of Biomedical Sciences - University of Santiago Prof. Miguel O'Ryan, Chairman, Pediatrics Department, Civil Hospital Karachi Prof. Inkisar Ali and Prof. Sajid Maqbool. Prof. Arif in his presentation stressed upon the importance of prevention in light of successes of vaccination programmes. He also commended the government efforts in introducing another important vaccine against Haemophilus Influenza type- B in its mass immunisation programme. Professor Inkisar Ali, who is also President of PPA Sindh Chapter said vaccines prevented three million deaths every year besides saving 400 million life years and protecting 750,000 children against disability. "Vaccines are one of the greatest public health achievements of the present era,' he said. Professor Sajid Maqbool, however, warned that even after taking precautionary measures including vaccination, around 4.36 million Pakistani children, under the age of five, fall victim to a number of ailments as diarrhea, malaria, respiratory diseases and measles, among others, every year. Of these, diarrheal disease remains the second most common cause of death among children under the age of five, he said. The senior pediatricians was strongly supported by co-speakers in his claim, "Rotavirus Diarrhea was Now A Preventable Disease'. Dr. Sajid mentioned that diarrhea in general was caused by a number of pathogens, however, the most serious and potentially fatal diarrhoea was caused by rotavirus. Rotaviruses, he said, caused approximately 125 million cases and 6,00,000 deaths due to diarrhea every year, and infect every child, both in the developed or developing world by the age of five years. Of the rotavirus-associated deaths worldwide, more than 55 percent were said to be estimated to occur in Asia. "Within Asia, after India and China, Pakistan has the highest number of deaths attributable to Rotavirus,' said the pediatrician. Professor O' Ryan said in view of the massive rotavirus burden, scientists have been working for last two to three decades to come up with a vaccine against rotavirus diarrhoea. Professor Miguel O' Ryan, who himself had been involved in testing the efficacy and safety of rotavirus vaccines in one of the world's largest clinical trials conducted in Latin America, said the same vaccine is now part of Latin America's universal mass vaccination programme. Talking about the Latin American experience, he said Pakistan has a lot in common with Latin America, in terms of socio-economic setting where hygiene and sanitation conditions are not optimal. It was said to be widely acknowledged by experts across the world that in light of the burden of rotavirus and the easily transmissible nature of the disease, vaccination is recognised as the only control measure likely to have an impact on the incidence of rotavirus disease. The researcher maintained that vaccination against rotavirus is thus the way forward and is considered to be the optimum first line strategy for disease prevention.