The Gavi mission to Pakistan, led by Ms. Colette Selman, Director of the Core Countries Programme, Ms. Carrie Gheen, Senior Country Manager, and Mr. Craig Beyerinck, Programme Manager for High Impact Countries, held a series of high-level discussions in Islamabad to support Pakistan immunization goals.
The delegation called on Federal Health Secretary Mr. Hamed Yaqoob Sheikh at the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination to discuss the upcoming Measles Rubella campaign, national immunization priorities, and strategies to strengthen routine immunization and ensure long-term sustainability of vaccination efforts across the country.
Mission members also met with Dr. Soofia Yunus, Director General of the Federal Directorate of Immunization and the Expanded Programme on Immunization Pakistan, where both sides reviewed progress under key immunization initiatives, examined operational challenges and explored ways to improve programmatic coordination and impact for Pakistan immunization services.
During the visit, the Gavi team engaged with federal and provincial EPI officials from Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, Balochistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as representatives from EPI Islamabad. Partners from WHO Pakistan, UNICEF Pakistan, the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative, Jhpiego and the Gates Foundation joined technical deliberations, including the Measles Rubella Campaign Technical Working Group and the HPV Round 1 Stock Take Meeting, alongside discussions on programmatic, audit and co-financing matters.
The discussions reinforced shared commitments to accelerate Pakistan immunization coverage, address operational bottlenecks and strengthen collaboration between federal, provincial and international partners to protect children and sustain vaccination gains across Pakistan.
