Vaccine drive for Afghan refugees
WHO partners with Sindh government for campaign
The World Health Organisation has partnered with the Sindh government to launch an immunisation campaign to protect Afghan refugees settled in Karachi from Covid-19 infection.
The same drive will also cover the IDPs (internally displaced persons) and other members of marginalised communities in Karachi including nomads who generally don’t have access to the regular public health services available in the city.
Sindh health minister, Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, along with WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Gunarathna Mahipala, jointly launched the special Covid-19 vaccination drive in the Gadap area in the suburbs of the city, which is home to a large number of Afghan refugees and IDPs.
The social mobilisation drive will also be a part of the newly launched campaign to persuade Afghan refugees, IDPs and other members of the marginalised communities to get vaccinated. The campaign is important because members of the marginalised communities earlier refused to get their children immunised against polio.
The AEFI (adverse event following immunisation) and VPD (vaccine-preventable diseases) surveillance are also a part of the special vaccination drive.
The campaign will be conducted through five mobile van units as each of them is targeting one of the five districts in Karachi having Afghan refugees and IDPs.
Each of the mobile units has a doctor, vaccinators, social mobiliser and a data entry operator. Both male and female vaccinators are available with each of the mobile units.
Sindh province is home to around 63,000 registered Afghan refugees as most of them live in Karachi.