KARACHI: A meeting was held at the EPI Sindh Conference Hall to discuss the Fragile Settings Learning Activity in the province, following a directive issued by the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI).
The meeting was chaired by Deputy Director PD EPI Sindh, Dr. Khalilullah Memon, and attended by members of the EPI Sindh core team, EPI consultants, and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, and the Interactive Research and Development (IRD).
Participants discussed the identification of districts for the study based on specific vulnerability criteria, including urban slum settings, districts affected by undernutrition and climate challenges, and areas entering the early phase of HPV vaccine integration into the routine immunization program from 2026 onwards.
During the meeting, Karachi’s District West and District Malir were proposed as potential urban slum settings for the study, while Sujawal and Tharparkar were suggested as districts representing undernutrition and climate-affected areas.
Officials also informed participants that the data collection tool for the study is being uploaded for review. Stakeholders were requested to provide feedback to ensure that all relevant aspects are incorporated into the research framework.
The Fragile Settings Learning Activity aims to strengthen routine immunization strategies in vulnerable districts and support the effective integration of the HPV vaccine into Pakistan’s immunization program.
