QUETTA, Jan 8: The Balochistan government has urged the federal government to provide anti-measles vaccines on a war footing to control the spread of the disease in the province.

EPI provincial coordinator Dr Anwar said about 400 children had been affected by the disease in different parts of the province during the past couple of months.

He said about two million children were administered anti-measles vaccines during a campaign carried out in 23 districts on Dec 24.He pointed out that the health department in collaboration with the World Health Organisation and Unicef had carried out a special campaign in flood-ravaged areas, including Jaffarabad, Nasirabad and Jhal Magsi, in 2010.

Dr Anwar said the provincial government was running short of anti-measles vaccines but the situation could be brought under control once the vaccines were delivered to the health department.

`The health department has written a letter to the federal government and WHOand Unicef in view of the recent reports about the detection of measles in parts of the province and sought immediate supply of vaccines so that special campaigns could be launched in high-risk areas, including Nasirabad, Jaffarabad, Jhal Magsi, Pishin, Qila Abdullah, Kachhi, Bolan and Sibi,` he said.

There were reports that the viral disease had claimed seven lives in the province, he said. `We have put preventive measures in place to avoid spread of the disease,` the official said.-APP