Daily Times

Sindh Minister for Health, Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho, chaired a high-level meeting with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) team to review immunization performance and key ongoing activities here on Thursday. The meeting included an update from Dr. Raj Kumar, the newly appointed Program Director (PD) of EPI, who briefed the Minister on the ongoing progress and achievements of the program. Dr. Sohail Raza Shaikh, Additional PD EPI, also provided insights into program activities.

A major highlight of the meeting was the progress under the “Big Catch-Up” initiative. The EPI team reported that over 80,000 zero-dose children identified during the February National Immunization Days (NID) campaign have now been immunized. Additionally, over 170,000 children have successfully completed their full immunization schedule as part of the campaign.

The district-wise performance report was shared, highlighting that Kashmore recorded the highest number of fully immunized children (12,417), while Sujawal had the lowest (2,659). Among Karachi districts, Karachi West led with 8,514 fully immunized children, whereas Karachi Keamari was among the lower-performing districts with 3,784.

Dr. Azra Pechuho directed the EPI team to prioritize follow-ups for unimmunized children and ensure continuous tracking of those on a vaccination schedule, ensuring timely administration of due doses. She further instructed that offer letters be issued to the selected vaccinators without delay to strengthen immunization services.

To enhance outreach effectiveness, the Minister emphasized that vaccinators must conduct community engagement meetings before visiting communities for vaccination activities. Additionally, districts with poor performance should be actively engaged, with District Health Officers (DHOs) receiving guidance to address gaps and cover unimmunized children.

A critical agenda discussed was the upcoming Measles campaign, which is to be launched before the rollout of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in Sindh. The campaign is planned ahead of the peak measles outbreak season to ensure maximum protection for children.

The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including Dr. Khalilullah Memon (Deputy Director EPI), Dr. Ahsan Bhurgri (BMGF), Dr. Tariq Masood (GAVI), Dr. Waqar Soomro (WHO), Dr. Ramesh Kumar, Suneel Raja (UNICEF), Samrina (IRD) and representatives from the Acasus team.

EPI Sindh remains committed to ensuring high immunization coverage across the province and will continue to work closely with partners to strengthen routine and supplementary immunization activities.