Lahore, June 18: Members of the Punjab Assembly from major political parties represented in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab met in Lahore and agreed to initiate a multi-party Caucus of MPAs to raise AWARENESS about the significance of immunization and the fatal consequences of not immunizing children.

MPAs agreed to convene a larger meeting of MPAs during next session of the Punjab Assembly while Dr. Asad Ashraf MPA and Chairman Chief Minister�s task force, was unanimously elected as the Convener of the Caucus.

Honourable Mr. Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, MPA; Deputy Speaker, Provincial Assembly of the Punjab has consented to be the Patron of the Caucus to promote immunization in Pakistan. MPAs present at the meeting filled out their membership forms for the Caucus.

MPAs who participated and became members of the emerging Caucus included: Dr. Asad Ashraf (PML N � PP 138), Nafeesa Amin (PML N � W301), Sajida Mir (PPPP- W 336), Faiza Ahmed Malik (PPP- W 343), Dr. Amina Butter ( PPP � W 339), Asifa Farooqi (PPPP � W 329), Fauzia Behram ( PPP � W 333), Ayesha Javed ( PML Unification Block W � 35), Maiza Hameed ( PML N � W 310), Khalil Tahir ( PML N � NM 367), Anjum Safdar ( PML N), Afshan Farooq ( PML N ), Dr. Javed Akber Dhillon ( PPP � PP 293), Ehsan Ul Haq Ahsan Noulatia ( PPPP � PP 253), Amir Hayat Hiraj ( PML Unification Block � PP 216), Rana M. Afzal Khan ( PML N PP-66), Malik Jahanzeb Waran ( PML N PP � 269), Mian Muhmmad Shafiq ( PPPP � PP207), Lt. Col. ( Retd). Shujjat Ahmed Khan ( PML Unification Block � PP 136), Malik Javed Awan ( PML N PP � 39), Shabina Riaz (PPP � W 344), Joyce Rufin Julius ( PML Unification Block), Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Chinyoti ( PML N PP-73).

PILDAT had approached the Punjab Assembly to consider the proposal of forming such a caucus in view of the persistent discovery of polio cases in Pakistan and lingering mis-presptions about the immunization programmes launched by the government of Pakistan with the help of international donors.

Mr. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, Executive Director-PILDAT, while giving the background of initiating a Parliamentary Caucus, said that the elected representatives can play a very effective role in the specific context of promoting Expanded Programme on immunization-EPI. The purpose of EPI is to initiate a collective effort to reduce the mortality results from the seven EPI target diseases by immunizing children of the age 0-11 months and women of child bearing age. The elected representatives of the people in the Parliament and the Provincial Legislatures can play a very important role in enhancing the understanding and participation of their communities in the EPI initiatives. A committed leadership of Legislators can add to the steps towards achieving MDGs as they too can strongly advocate on the issue at the highest level, allocate adequate resources for child health, legislate to ensure universal access to essential care and also oversee the implementation of relevant policies. The presentation highlighted the vulnerability of 13 districts and tribal agencies to polio virus and other diseases and indicated that 2008 had seen one of the highest incidences of 120 Polio Cases in Pakistan. Although the number of cases dropped to 93 in 2009 in 32 districts and tribal agencies, the vulnerability continues due to migration of population and unstable governance on account of insurgency in some districts and tribal agencies. The presentation also highlighted that misperceptions about immunization persist in a certain section of the society due to lack of education and awareness and this leads to their non-cooperative attitude towards immunization of their children.

A parliamentary caucus to promote immunization in Pakistan has already been established in the parliament of Pakistan under the patronage of hounourable Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, Mr. Faisal Karim Kundi, MPA, while Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA, Parliamentary Secretary on Health is serving as its convener. Similarly in the provincial Assembly of Sindh, the caucus has been formed under the patronage of Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, MPA and speaker Provincial Assembly of Sindh, while Mr. Anwar Ahmed Khan Mahar, MPA and Mr. Mohammad Moin Aamir Pirzada have taken up the responsibilities as coordinators of the caucus.