DLP Report
PESHAWAR
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen collaboration aimed at ensuring equitable access to routine immunization services and supporting the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Health Department in reaching every child with life-saving vaccines.
The commitment was expressed during a provincial coordination meeting on integrating immunization awareness, organized by KHAGARAH Development Organization (KDO) in collaboration with the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) KP under Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance through the CSO Fund mechanism. The initiative focuses on strengthening province-wide coordination to support routine immunization efforts, especially in hard-to-reach and high-risk areas of the province.
Director EPI KP, Dr. Mehtab Khan, chaired the session, which was attended by representatives from EPI, WHO, UNICEF, Gavi liaison team, district health offices, and several national and international civil society organizations, reflecting strong multi-stakeholder coordination for immunization efforts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Participants included Technical Officer WHO Dr. Kashif Muqarab, Dr. Tariq Ahmad, GAVI Liaison Officer, Deputy Director Communication EPI Ayaz Ahmad, DHO Lower Kohistan Dr. Pirzada, CSO Focal Person EPI Irfan Ahmad, Executive Director KDO Farah Shahid, Director Program KDO Abdul Samad Lodhi, Programme Manager Blue Veins Qamar Naseem, Executive Director EHSAR Foundation Kazimullah Khan (Provincial Lead NHN Chapter KP), ICMPD counselors Abdul Hameed and Ms. Zainab, among others.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mehtab Khan underscored the provincial government’s commitment to strengthening routine immunization through coordinated engagement with civil society partners. He said the Expanded Programme on Immunization is intensifying efforts to increase vaccination coverage and achieve the target of exceeding 90 percent coverage by 2027, as outlined in the Provincial Immunization Strategy.
He emphasized focusing on hard-to-reach areas during immunization campaigns and reducing the number of zero-dose children. Dr. Mehtab also urged CSOs to enhance support for the upcoming Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, aimed at protecting adolescent girls from cervical cancer.
Female staff members of KDO shared their experiences and challenges while working on immunization in the remote and mountainous areas of Kohistan district. They stressed the need for recruitment of more Lady Health Workers (LHWs) to expand outreach and improve coverage among women and children.
Kamran Qureshi of UNICEF highlighted the importance of community awareness, engagement and accountability, urging CSO staff and EPI teams to strengthen efforts for improving vaccination coverage.
During the open discussion, participants emphasized the critical role of CSOs in supporting provincial immunization priorities through community mobilization, demand generation and rumor management. Discussions also focused on aligning community-level outreach initiatives with provincial strategies, ensuring consistency of key messages, and improving coordination with district and union council-level health teams for timely uptake and completion of routine immunization.
Participants shared field experiences, highlighted operational challenges, and discussed practical approaches to improve immunization coverage, particularly among zero-dose and under-immunized children.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to structured collaboration between government institutions and civil society partners to enhance public confidence in vaccination services and strengthen routine immunization systems across KP.
