The World Health Organization (WHO), with financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has strengthened Pakistan’s immunization efforts by handing over 20 four-wheel-drive vehicles to the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). The vehicles will be deployed in 20 priority districts where large numbers of “zero-dose” children—those who have never received a single vaccine—live in hard-to-reach and geographically challenging areas.
The distribution plan ensures nationwide coverage, with three vehicles each allocated to Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan. Two vehicles each have been assigned to Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the federal level, while one vehicle each will support the Capital Development Authority and the Islamabad Capital Territory. This targeted approach is designed to strengthen immunization delivery and supervision in districts facing persistent access barriers.
For years, transport shortages have limited the ability of immunization managers to effectively supervise field teams, verify micro-plans, and ensure vaccine availability in remote communities. The new vehicles will significantly improve mobility, enabling on-ground oversight, faster problem-solving, and stronger links between central planning and field implementation.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal expressed gratitude to WHO and Gavi, highlighting the broader challenges facing Pakistan’s health ecosystem, including gaps in water, sanitation, and health infrastructure. He emphasized that immunization remains one of the most effective tools to reduce disease burden, noting that protecting children against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases is essential for the country’s future. He stressed that the vehicles will play a critical role in reaching zero-dose children, particularly among underprivileged and underserved populations with limited awareness and access to health services.
WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Luo Dapeng, underscored the importance of reliable transport for effective public health action. He noted that the vehicles will enhance regular supervision, allow logistical issues to be addressed directly in the field, and strengthen Pakistan’s immunization systems. Reaffirming WHO’s commitment, he stated that vaccines already protect millions of children in Pakistan each year and that continued partnership is vital to ensuring every child is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The initiative follows an in-depth analysis that identified weak field supervision as a key barrier to improving immunization outcomes in districts with geographical and security challenges. By addressing this gap, the vehicles are expected to improve governance oversight and reinforce supportive supervision of immunization teams, helping bridge the divide between urban centres and remote communities.
Dr Musa Khan, Director-General of the Federal Directorate of Immunization, described the handover as a significant milestone in strengthening Pakistan’s health system. He emphasized that the vehicles will support service delivery in hard-to-reach and security-threatened areas, ensuring vaccines reach every community and reinforcing the national commitment that no child should be left behind.
Pakistan launched its Expanded Programme on Immunization in 1978 in partnership with WHO. Since then, the programme has protected up to 7 million children and 5.5 million pregnant women every year with life-saving vaccines. Globally, vaccination saves a life every 10 seconds, and over the past 50 years alone, vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives—underscoring the critical importance of continued investment in immunization systems like Pakistan’s.
