ISLAMABAD: Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Tuesday considered various development projects worth billions of rupees, including Expanded Programme of Immunisation (EPI) worth Rs 37,644.68 million.
ECNEC, which met with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair, discussed at length the proposal of Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination regarding the EPI spanning over the period from 2015-16 to 2019-20 and approved it. The project would be financed by the federal and provincial governments and envisages protecting children aged one year against nine vaccine preventable diseases (VPD), including childhood tuberculosis, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis-B, haemophilus influenza type B, measles and pneumonia.
EPI also aims at protecting pregnant women against tetanus toxoid and the newborn babies against tetanus neonatrum. It also has the objective to eradicate, eliminate, reduce and control vaccine preventive diseases (VPD) for implementation and execution by federating units. The programme will protect children under five years of age against the complications and mortality caused by diarrhoeal diseases by proper case management. It will cover the whole country, including Islamabad, FATA, GB and AJK. The Ministry of National Health Services will undertake procurement of the vaccine under a centralised system.
ECNEC also considered and approved in principle the proposal of Ministry of Ports and Shipping for the provision of coal conveying system from Pakistan International Bulk Terminal (PIBT) to railway network at Port Qasim. Under the project, construction of coal conveying system measuring 4.8km and laying of eight kilometres of railway track with allied structures and facilities for transportation of coal from PIBT coal terminal to railway siding and loading of coal onto railway wagons for onward transmission to the proposed coal fired power plants will be undertaken.
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