A timely jab can save a child from pneumonia: CM

KARACHI BUREAU —KARACHI Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has urged parents to ensure timely vaccination of their children, saying immunisation was essential to protecting them against pneumonia and other potentially life-threatening diseases. In a message issued on the occasion of World Pneumonia Prevention and Child Health Day, the chief minister said pneumonia remained one of the leading causes of illness and deaths among young children, but timely vaccination could help prevent the disease.

Shah stressed that parents must ensure their children received all scheduled vaccinations to protect them against pneumonia and other serious illnesses. He said breastfeeding, a balanced diet and a clean environment played an important role in strengthening children's immunity. Protecting children from exposure to household smoke and cigarette smoking was equally important, he added.

The chief minister said vaccines were available free of charge under the provincial Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), which was providing free vaccination services across all 27 districts of Sindh. Improving maternal and child health, addressing childhood malnutrition, ensuring timely diagnosis and providing quality healthcare remained among the provincial government's top priorities, he said.

PPP's 59th foundation day The PPP will hold rallies at district headquarters across Sindh on November 30 to mark its 59th foundation day, placing the province's territorial integrity, opposition to new provinces and controversial canals at the centre of its political narrative, while urging rival parties to set aside differences and unite for the supremacy of the Constitution and Parliament.

The announcement was made by PPP Sindh President Nisar Ahmed Khuhro. He said the rallies would highlight the historical role played by the party and the Sindh Assembly in resisting proposals for new provinces and controversial canal projects, which he described as threats to Sindh's unity and survival.