Karachi: The Sindh Health Department is fully prepared to launch the second round of the Big Catch-Up Initiative from February 20, 2025, covering all districts of Sindh.
This large-scale immunization campaign aims to reach children under the age of five, ensuring they receive life-saving vaccines to protect against preventable diseases.
A high-level readiness meeting was chaired by Dr. Muhammad Naeem, Program Director of EPI Sindh, where district health officers and key stakeholders gathered to assess the level of preparedness across Sindh.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Sohail Raz Shaikh, Additional Program Director EPI Sindh, and Irshad Sodhar, EOC Coordinator, who provided insights on the operational aspects of the campaign.
Minister for Health, Dr. Azra Pechuho, and Secretary Health, Rehan Iqbal Baloch, issued directives, emphasizing the need for comprehensive microplanning, operational readiness, and extensive social mobilization efforts to ensure the success of the campaign.
The campaign will be executed over a 24-day period, with an extensive workforce mobilized to facilitate vaccination activities. A total of 30 districts, 130 talukas, and 1,128 union councils will be covered, ensuring wide-scale outreach.
A team of 3,645 vaccinators, supported by an equal number of team assistants, will be deployed to carry out the immunization drive.
To enhance community participation and awareness, 7,290 social mobilizers will be engaged in reaching out to families and encouraging parents to get their children vaccinated.
The supervision of the campaign will be overseen by 920 first-level supervisors, responsible for monitoring vaccination activities in the field, while 130 second-level supervisors will ensure strategic oversight at the taluka level.
To strengthen community engagement, letters have been issued to HANDS and SRSO, requesting their field teams and Marvi workers to actively participate in mobilization efforts.
In collaboration with EOC Sindh, special attention has been given to improving microplanning and enhancing social mobilization strategies.
Additionally, arrangements have been finalized for branding and campaign visibility, ensuring that billboards, banners, and streamers will be displayed across Sindh, starting four days before the launch of the campaign.
The Sindh Health Department urges all parents to actively participate in this crucial campaign and ensure that their children under five years of age receive the necessary vaccinations. Parents are encouraged to visit their nearest EPI center or healthcare facility to avail themselves of this opportunity and Health team will also be visiting different villages.
This initiative marks a significant step in Sindh’s ongoing efforts to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases and safeguard the health of the province’s children.
