SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has stepped up surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) as part of efforts to strengthen early detection, case investigation and public health response, Director Health Services Kashmir (DHSK) Dr Nighat Yasmeen said on Monday.
Speaking on the sidelines of a state-level workshop in Srinagar, Dr Yasmeen said the programme aims to identify disease patterns, monitor trends and detect gaps in immunisation coverage across the Union Territory.
“The objective is to identify areas reporting higher numbers of cases, assess immunity levels and determine where corrective interventions are required,” she said.
According to health officials, the surveillance programme covers six vaccine-preventable diseases, including measles, rubella and tetanus, and is designed to identify vulnerable populations and areas requiring targeted public health measures.
Dr Yasmeen said the surveillance system, which was earlier supported technically by the World Health Organisation (WHO), is being transitioned to an indigenous framework under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
She said the transition would be carried out in phases, beginning at the state level and gradually extending to hospitals and other tiers of the healthcare system, with completion targeted by March 2027.
The workshop is training health officials in disease surveillance procedures, including identification and reporting of suspected cases, specimen collection, laboratory protocols, data analysis and uploading information to a unified digital portal.
Dr Yasmeen said the data generated through the surveillance system would help public health experts identify immunisation gaps and formulate evidence-based disease-control and vaccination strategies.
She described the initiative as a major public health exercise and said the Health Department was committed to implementing it effectively across Jammu and Kashmir.
