News
Scale-up routine immunisation along with COVID-19 vaccination: WHO
The World Health Organization has urged countries in South Asia Region to enhance routine immunization along with the ongoing efforts to rapidly increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage.
“The vulnerability to vaccine preventable diseases has increased with the pandemic disrupting essential immunization services and surveillance for vaccine preventable disease. Though efforts are being made, much more needs to be done specially at the sub-national levels and to reach the unreached and underserved population,” said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South Asia, at the Seventy-Fourth Regional Committee meeting.
Recalling the strong progress made until the onset of the pandemic, the Regional Director said, by 2019 the Region was in a historically best position related to vaccine preventable disease control with 91% coverage with three doses of DTP vaccine (DTP3). Ten of 11 countries had achieved more than 90% DTP3 coverage.
Though routine immunization services were among the first essential services that countries began to restore during the pandemic, the DTP3 coverage in the Region dipped to 85% in 2020. The number of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children increased to 4.9 million as against 3 million in 2019. Surveillance of vaccine preventable diseases was also affected.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted implementation of strategies for measles and rubella elimination, a flagship priority in the Region. The estimated coverage with the first dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) in the Region declined to 88% in 2020 compared with 94% in 2019. Similarly, coverage with the second dose of measles-containing vaccine declined to 78% in 2020 compared with 83% in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in surveillance gaps in several countries and has delayed implementation of mass vaccination campaigns and other immunization-related activities.
“There is an urgent need to repair the damage caused by COVID-19, to regain the momentum achieved in the previous decade, and to protect infants, young people and adults with life-saving vaccines,” Dr Khetrapal Singh said.
The ongoing Regional Committee meeting discussed the Strategic Framework for the South-East Asia Regional Vaccine Action Plan 2022−2030 which focuses on the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccination and restoration of immunization systems and vaccine-preventable disease surveillance from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We need to ensure strategies are in place to maintain and enhance routine immunization without impacting the efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates, the Regional Director said. Adequate human resources for routine immunization and COVID-19 vaccination, efforts to build confidence among people to access immunization services and having Standard Operating Procedures in place for enhancing immunization activities immediately following cessation of lockdown periods, are some of the critical measures that need to be taken, she said.
“Implementation of the framework will need high-level political and programmatic commitment and partner collaboration to which WHO is committed,” the Regional Director said.
Countries in the Region are making unprecedented efforts to expand COVID-19 vaccination coverage with over 915 million doses administered across the Region. The availability of more vaccine doses in recent weeks has helped scale up coverage.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the Region has maintained its status of having eradicated polio and eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus. Measles elimination has been achieved and maintained in five countries, while two of these countries have also achieved rubella elimination. Four countries have been verified as having achieved hepatitis B control through immunization.
The Regional Committee meeting is the annual governing body meeting of WHO South Asia Region. Being hosted by Nepal, the meeting is being held virtually for the second consecutive year in view of the pandemic.
The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has found that there were fake documents regarding the importing of medicines under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023.
This was revealed during a COPE meeting held at Parliament probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
NMRA CEO Saveen Semage told the committee that several fake documents have been found due to the lack of registration of medicines.
Stating that six such fake documents were found last year alone, Semage said he had recorded statements regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
He revealed that, however, no investigations have been conducted yet into the incidents.
“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also revealed that the highest number of waive-off registrations (WOR) for medicines had been obtained in 2022 and 2023.
He said 656 such WORs had been obtained in 2022 and 261 in 2023, adding that this proves that discrepancies have taken place during the emergency procurement of medicines during these periods.
Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, Dr. G. Wijesuriya said discussions are underway on allowing the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines.He pointed out that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard as a solution to mitigate such discrepancies.
The Batalanda Commission report was tabled in Parliament on Friday by the Leader of the House and Transport Minister, Bimal Ratnayake.
Minister Ratnayake announced that the government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice. Additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to provide guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the findings of the report.
Ratnayake said that the Cabinet of Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report. He reassured the public that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated.
Minister Ratnayake said that a two-day debate on the Batalanda Commission report will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time, allowing for a detailed discussion on the report’s findings and recommendations.
The report, which will be printed in all three official languages—Sinhala, Tamil, and English—will be made available to the public in the near future. Ratnayake confirmed that printed copies would be provided to members of Parliament as well as the general public for their review.
The Leader of the House further revealed that there are 28 evidence volumes associated with the commission’s work, which will be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny.
Ratnayake said that as entire country concerned of the Batalanda Commission’s findings, the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised and preventing future atrocities stands clear. The next steps, including legal action and policy recommendations, will be shaped by expert advice and informed parliamentary discussions, he said.
Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe on Friday (14) emphasized the importance of promoting a sustainable and cost-effective construction industry in the country, highlighting key challenges and opportunities in the sector.
Speaking at ‘Construction Expo 2025’, Dr. Weerasinghe underscored the need for Sri Lanka to align with global trends in sustainable construction, integrating cost-effective energy solutions and eco-friendly building practices.
“I must say my views here are not necessarily as Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, but as a person looking at this construction industry and how this can be developed and what the issues are. Sustainability in construction is essential, not just for new projects but also for existing buildings,” he noted.
Dr. Weerasinghe acknowledged that the construction sector has been one of the hardest-hit industries due to multiple economic pressures in recent years including the decline in public investments, high material costs and the industry being dependent on government projects.
The CBSL Governor, who acknowledged that the government faced fiscal constraints, limiting infrastructure spending and delaying payments to contractors, said that however, the outstanding arrears had now been settled.
“Government did not have space to spend money for public investment, especially construction that had a significant impact on the industry in the last couple of years, plus the government inability to pay the arrears for a long period. That was an issue we all recognize that has been one of the adverse impacts the industry had in the past”, he expressed.
“Also the cost of materials went up significantly, partly because of foreign exchange shortages. As a result, the shortage had shot up the prices of construction materials, as well as depreciation of the currency, high interest rates, finance costs, and other factors. We all recognize that it had an adverse impact on the industry. It’s one of the worst affected industries because of all these factors.”
51 dead after North Macedonia nightclub fire
Pakistan 91 all out as post Babar-Rizwan era begins with a whimper
International Schools accused of poaching athletes for ISAC glory
-
Foreign News23 hours agoSearch continues in Dominican Republic for missing student Sudiksha Konanki
-
News4 days agoAlfred Duraiappa’s relative killed in Canada shooting
-
Opinion6 days agoInsulting SL armed forces
-
Features3 days agoRichard de Zoysa at 67
-
Editorial5 days agoGhosts refusing to fade away
-
Features3 days agoSL Navy helping save kidneys
-
Features5 days agoThe Gypsies…one year at a time
-
Midweek Review4 days agoRanil in Head-to-Head controversy