KARACHI: The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Sindh, on Monday launched a province-wide training programme for 976 newly hired vaccinators.

Led by Programme Director Dr Raj Kumar, the two-week training, comprising intensive classroom sessions and supervised field exposure visits, is being conducted with the support of UNICEF Sindh and the Aga Khan University (AKU), along with contributions from the WHO, International Relief and Development (IRD) organisation and EPI master trainers.

According to a press release, the first phase of the training commenced in Karachi division, covering 88 vaccinators from seven districts, including East (17), Korangi (10), Malir (16), South (14), West (12), Keamari (19) and Central (0).

The six-day classroom component covers all essential immunisation areas, including an overview of EPI and vaccine-preventable diseases, the national immunisation schedule, vaccine types, cold chain systems, microplanning at the union council level, immunisation session management, documentation, AEFI (adverse events following immunisation), injection safety, interpersonal communication, community engagement, rumour management, digital tools like the Zindagi Mehfooz (ZM) app, and use of data for monitoring and action planning.

The inaugural session held in district Central was attended by Dr Raj Kumar, Dr Sohail Ahmed Memon, District Health Officer (DHO) Central, Immunisation Officer Urban UNICEF Suneel Raja, Dr Zainul Abideen from EPI Sindh and Dr Anny Dhanwani and Dr Lala Aftab from the AKU.

Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Kumar reiterated the health minister’s commitment to equipping vaccinators with both technical expertise and community-dealing skills, ensuring that they were capable of engaging with families, delivering vaccines efficiently and contributing to increased coverage across the province.

“The second phase of the training will soon be rolled out in the remaining districts of Sindh to complete the induction of all 976 vaccinators, a key step towards strengthening immunisation systems and achieving universal coverage across the province,” a spokesperson for EPI Sindh said.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2025