Quetta: Provincial EPI (Expanded Programme on Immunization) Coordinator Dr. Aftab Hussain Kakar chaired a meeting with Shamsullah Tareen, Program Manager for the Indus Hospital & Health Network–Gavi Routine Immunization Project, to review ongoing interventions in Jhal Magsi, Musakhel, and Jaffarabad districts.
Discussions focused on vaccinating zero-dose, defaulter, and underserved children, as well as raising community awareness.
Emphasis was placed on nominating master trainers to strengthen field staff capacity.
Dr. Aftab Kakar stressed that all training sessions will be conducted exclusively through EPI-designated master trainers and that regular review meetings will be held.
The collaboration highlights a shared commitment to bolstering routine immunization across Balochistan and improving child health outcomes.
Pakistan’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) was launched nationwide in 1978 to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, diphtheria, and hepatitis B.
Balochistan, with its vast and often remote terrain, faces unique challenges in delivering vaccines to every child.
Low population density, difficult road access, and security concerns contribute to higher rates of “zero-dose” children—those who have never received a single routine vaccine—compared with other provinces.
To address these gaps, the EPI Balochistan works closely with partners like the Indus Hospital & Health Network and the Gavi Alliance.
Joint initiatives focus on training field workers, maintaining cold-chain infrastructure, and conducting social mobilization to counter misinformation about vaccines.
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Regular review meetings, like the one chaired by Dr. Aftab Hussain Kakar, ensure that interventions in districts such as Jhal Magsi, Musakhel, and Jaffarabad remain on track and that more children receive life-saving immunizations on time.
