Press release
Pakistan Introduces HPV Vaccine to Protect Girls from Cervical Cancer, Joining 150 Countries
ISLAMABAD, 15 September 2025, – The Government of Pakistan’s Federal Directorate for Immunization (FDI) of the Government of Pakistan, in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), today launched the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign to protec...
Article
The Unsung Heroes of Polio Eradication in Pakistan
Taxila, Punjab:, In the dusty lanes of Taxila, located along the historic Grand Trunk Road in Rawalpindi District, Azmat Rasool, a Community Mobiliser is on a mission to immunize children in her community. In Pakistan’s fight to eradicate polio, she is one of more than 400,000 frontline workers including 225,000...
Article
A Circle of Care from Birth to Immunity
Karachi, Sindh:, Muhammad Ismail, 39, beams with joy as he cradles his newborn daughter—his third child, and his first girl—just hours after her birth at Sindh Government Qatar Hospital in western Karachi. The hospital holds a special place in his heart; it’s where he welcomed all three of his children, starting w...
Article
Fighting Typhoid
Quetta, Balochistan:, Perag, just nine months old, is a healthy, happy, and active baby - thanks to his parents, who understand the importance of timely vaccination to protect their child from preventable diseases. His father, Saghir, has taken a day off from work to bring him to the vaccination centre at Bolan Me...
Article
The Promise of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination in Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan:, Nouranda hugs her precious 7-month-old daughter Fatima, who is playfully tugging at her burqa. She and her husband, Akbar Saeed, have come to see Shazia Tabassum, the Lady Health Worker (LHW) in their community. Shazia welcomes the community in the Health House, a dedicated room in her home i...
Press release
New Refrigerated Trucks strengthen children’s access to vaccines in Pakistan
Islamabad, 23 April 2025 –, In a significant step toward ensuring equitable access to life-saving vaccines for every child in Pakistan, UNICEF officially handed over 31 refrigerated trucks to the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI) in Islamabad today, with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. “These new ...
Press release
Pakistan edges closer to eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus
20 March 2025, Islamabad, Pakistan –, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) and Pakistan-Administered Kashmir (PAK) have achieved the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), taking Pakistan closer to interrupting the transmission of this life-threatening disease for mothers and newborns nationwide. The val...
Article
Strengthening Primary Health Care for Flood-Affected Children and Women in Sindh
“I am really happy that my child is vaccinated against measles, I hope he won’t get sick with this dangerous disease now,” says Gulzadi, a mother of eight children in Jacobabad. Gulzadi has brought her youngest son Muhammed Rafiq (18 months) for a measles booster vaccination to the Tehsil Headquarter (THQ) Hospita...
Article
Why Pakistan needs HPV vaccination to safeguard women and girls
Wah, Punjab:, "Two years ago, I started experiencing severe headaches and stomach pain, followed by abnormal discharge and excessive bleeding. I was too nervous to talk to my family about what was happening," recalls Shahida Bibi, a housewife and mother of seven from a village in Wah City, 40 kilometers from Pakis...
Article
Creating sustainable primary healthcare solutions for mothers and children
PESHAWAR / CHARSADDA, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, : Eighteen-month-old Rohal clings silently to his mother, Tanzeela Bano, as they wait at the triage desk in the Musa Zai Basic Health Unit (BHU), around 15 kilometres from Peshawar. Rohal, who has yet to receive his second dose of the Measles and Rubella (MR) vac...
Photo essay
Newborns get a healthy start at the 24/7 Birth Dose Centre
Pakistan is among the top ten countries globally with the highest number of children not receiving vaccination that protects against multiple diseases. Ensuring that the first immunization dose is administered at birth and informing the parents about the next dose and follow-up is important. Thousands of children ...
Article
Strengthening the cold chain boosts vaccination coverage for children
Sujawal, Sindh:, The devastating floods in 2022 impacted 33 million people, including 16 million children and damaged vital health infrastructure. Immunization services were disrupted leaving children more vulnerable to vaccine preventable diseases. Sindh was one of the worst affected provinces. “Floods damaged 70...