Strengthening of immunisation support from GAVI

ISLAMABAD: A two-day consultative workshop on GAVI Full Portfolio Planning (FPP) got underway here Thursday, ahead of the global vaccine alliance’s planning process for its next five-year support to Pakistan.

Organised by the Federal Directorate on Immunisation (FDI), the workshop had the PM’s Special Assistant on Health, Dr. Faisal Sultan, as the chief guest. It is the FPP process that will define strengthening of immunisation support from GAVI over a five-year period through the development of a single countrywide application.

“The government is committed to improving the health of its citizens and GAVI has been a pivotal partner in the commendable efforts to vaccinate children and women. I am happy to learn that GAVI is now planning its next five-year support to Pakistan considering equity perspective with a bottom-up approach in planning,” Dr. Faisal stated in his address on the occasion.

The consultative sessions, which are being attended by people involved at different levels in the immunization process, will help identify current gaps in the system, and will help devise a strategy to sustainably strengthen service delivery and immunisation system with greater integration of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) with other programmes, like the polio programme. “The key is to aim high, coordinate, and capitalise on the data,” Dr. Faisal remarked.

Dr. Muhammad Akram Shah, National Programme Manager of FDI, thanked Dr. Faisal supporting the immunisation programme, and all the provincial managers and the GAVI team for working as one team, one family.