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       PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Thursday launched the Immunisation Action Plan (IAP) aimed at achieving 90 per cent full immunisation coverage for children against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases in the province by 2027.

       Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur formally inaugurated the initiative during an event at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat here, according to an official statement.

       The event was also attended by adviser to the CM on finance Muzammil Aslam, adviser to the CM on health Ihtisham Ali, additional chief secretary (P&D) Ikramullah Khan, additional chief secretary (home) Abid Majeed, health secretary Shahidullah Khan, senior officials from the health department and representatives of international partner organisations.

       The chief minister said that the provincial government was working with renewed commitment to eradicate poliovirus from the province.

       CM says achieving targets challenging, not impossible

       “Alongside polio eradication efforts, special attention is also being given to protecting children from other diseases. For this purpose, an action plan has been developed to strengthen the immunisation programme,” he said.

       The chief minister said it was not just an action plan, but a clear reflection of the provincial government’s commitment to eliminating polio.

       He said that the real task was on-ground implementation of the action plan, so all relevant departments, institutions and district administrations should ensure its full and effective execution.

       Mr Gandapur said that although achieving the targets of the action plan was challenging, it was not impossible.

       He said with better teamwork, determination and hard work, those targets could be accomplished.

       The chief minister said Rs8 billion was allocated in the current fiscal year’s budget for the immunisation programme.

       “We are also deeply grateful to our development partners for their generous support and continued collaboration in this shared mission to safeguard the wellbeing of our children,” he said, pledging the elimination of polio and deadly diseases from the province.

       On the rationale behind the IAP, chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah said that the province had the lowest immunisation coverage in the country, with the southern districts posing challenges to vaccination efforts.

       He described the target as ambitious yet attainable in light of the enhanced institutional capacity and resources.

       The chief secretary emphasised a focused and coordinated approach to ensure that every child whether living in urban areas or remote rural communities was reached through the plan.

       During a detailed presentation at the event, officials said currently, 55 per cent of children in the province were fully immunised, leaving a large number at risk, while the new IAP sought to close that gap by vaccinating approximately 1.42 million children under the age of two every year.

       The list of diseases on target included diphtheria, tetanus, mumps, hepatitis B, pertussis, rotavirus, rubella, polio, meningitis, pneumonia, typhoid and measles.

       The IAP outlined an eight-point strategy to ensure no child is left behind, with special focus on underserved and hard-to-reach areas. A central element of the strategy involves comprehensive outreach to all mapped communities, including those in security, compromised or geographically remote locations.

       Officials said operational capacity had been enhanced through a significant increase in dedicated transportation budgets expanding from Rs80 million to Rs448 million over three years, enabling field teams to reach distant and rural communities with consistency.

       They said the plan focused on upgrading over 1,800 fixed immunisation sites across the province, including basic health units, rural health centres and hospitals.

       The officials said those facilities were being equipped with trained staff, complete stocks of essential vaccines, working cold chain equipment and a 15-day buffer supply of syringes to prevent disruption in service delivery.

       They said in urban and semi-urban districts that showed low coverage rates, targeted immunisation drives would be launched.

       The first such campaign is scheduled to begin in Peshawar, with an aim to identify, digitise and vaccinate every missed child in the area.

       In order to ensure results and accountability, the action plan incorporates strong governance mechanisms. Monthly and quarterly performance monitoring will be based on reliable data indicators, such as vaccinator performance, geographic outreach, and site functionality.

       Also, third-party coverage assessments will be conducted every six months to validate government data and identify underserved populations, according to IAP.

       It added that in parallel, a survey across the province was being carried out to understand behavioral barriers that prevent families from seeking immunisation services.

       The plan said the findings would inform future communication strategies tailored to address disparities across gender, geography and socioeconomic status.

       According to it, this comprehensive approach, driven by digital data, community engagement and field-level monitoring, represents a turning point in the province’s public health efforts.

       “With political commitment at the top and mechanisms in place for delivery at the grassroots, the government is now focused on translating its promises into measurable impact,” said the IAP.

       Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2025