Dr Abdul Jabbar, Director Health Services (EPI), underscored that a safe, healthy and disease free life is the right of every child and said EPI Punjab will work to ensure no one misses the benefits of vaccines anywhere in the province. He reaffirmed the programme’s commitment to reaching children in all communities through strengthened outreach and coordination.
The partnership between EPI Punjab and Civil Society Organizations is designed to transcend barriers between public and private sectors and has ushered in a new era of community service where the ultimate beneficiaries are the children of Punjab. Under the innovative Gavi-supported model, CSOs and EPI Punjab are implementing a synergized and synchronized approach to service delivery and demand generation in selected areas.
The first ever CSO review brought together heads of partner organisations and key stakeholders to assess progress and align activities. The meeting was attended by FDI representative Ms Huma Khawar, TGF representative Dr Irtaza Chaudhry and the focal person for the CSO initiative in Punjab Mr Sajjad Hafeez, who joined programme leads to discuss gaps and next steps in outreach to marginalized communities.
CSOs are focusing on plugging coverage gaps in urban slums and other underserved settings, supporting on-the-ground mobilization and follow up so that vaccines reach every eligible child. Team leads from Agahe, REEDS and Rahnuma attended the review and will continue coordinated efforts with EPI Punjab to expand access and increase community trust in immunisation services across the province.
