KP Launches Youth Initiative to Boost Immunization Awareness
Key Developments:
- KP launches youth-led SAHI immunization awareness initiative
- Students to promote vaccination, hygiene and healthy practices
- Around 800 youth and adolescents planned for ambassador network
PESHAWAR (Associated Press Pakistan) — September 11, 2026: The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched a youth-led initiative to increase awareness about polio and other immunizations by engaging students from schools, colleges and universities as community ambassadors.
The first awareness session under the Students & Adolescents for Health and Immunization (SAHI) initiative was held at the City University of Science and Information Technology in Peshawar on Wednesday.
The session was attended by UNICEF Polio National Team Lead for Pakistan Melissa Corkum, EOC Coordinator and Additional Secretary Health Shafiullah Khan, Gates Foundation Senior Programme Officer Emaad Hassan, City University Dean Prof. Dr. Arif Shah and UNICEF Communication Officer Shahdab Younas.
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Explaining the initiative, Younas said SAHI was designed as a youth-led social and behaviour change programme that would position young people as informed immunization ambassadors across educational institutions in KP.
“The initiative, titled ‘Students & Adolescents for Health and Immunization (SAHI),’ is a youth-led social and behaviour change initiative that positions young people as trusted and informed immunization ambassadors,” Younas said.
Under the programme, students will participate voluntarily and promote awareness not only about immunization but also nutrition, hygiene and other healthy practices in their communities.
City University Dean Prof. Dr. Arif Shah said the participation of students would give them an opportunity to contribute to efforts aimed at protecting children from polio and promoting healthier practices.
During a presentation, EOC representative Dr. Imran highlighted the need for wider public participation to improve immunization coverage. He said vaccination teams continued to face difficulties reaching some children because of parental refusals and security-related challenges, particularly in southern parts of KP.
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He also said Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the two countries where wild poliovirus transmission is endemic. The World Health Organization has similarly identified continued transmission in both countries, while noting that southern KP remains one of the key areas facing operational and security challenges.
Dr. Imran said young people could play an important role in addressing vaccine-related concerns and supporting efforts to reach children who are missed during vaccination campaigns.
“This is the prime time for us to be listed among countries where polio is no longer endemic, but we all have to work together, including young people,” he said.
UNICEF SBCC Specialist Jahan-un-Din said the initiative would use youth engagement to reach families and communities where concerns or misconceptions about immunization persist.
“Through youth, we can reach community members and engage with families where concerns or misconceptions about immunization still exist,” he said.
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He said parental refusals and the absence of children during vaccination campaigns remained among the challenges faced by vaccination teams.
Gates Foundation Senior Programme Officer Emaad Hassan said involving young people could help extend engagement with communities and encouraged students to take an active role in addressing public health challenges.
UNICEF’s Melissa Corkum described students as important change agents and said their participation could support ongoing efforts to improve immunization awareness.
EOC Coordinator Shafiullah Khan said involving students from City University could help address vaccine-related misconceptions in urban communities of Peshawar. He added that health authorities had been engaging different groups, including teachers, religious scholars, media professionals and social media influencers, in support of polio eradication efforts.
According to Khan, SAHI members will receive technical training on community engagement and communicating health-related messages in their respective areas.
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He said universities in other parts of KP, including Hazara and southern districts, would also be approached to join the initiative.
CREDIT: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Portal.
The EOC plans to develop a network of around 500 youth and 300 adolescents to serve as ambassadors for immunization and other healthy practices across the province.
The initiative comes as Pakistan continues efforts to interrupt wild poliovirus transmission. WHO has reported progress in several areas but has also warned that transmission persists in key locations, including southern KP, while access, insecurity, immunity gaps and vaccine refusals remain challenges.
Separately, UNICEF reported on September 9 that efforts to strengthen routine immunization services were continuing in Balochistan, highlighting the broader push to improve access to vaccines beyond polio campaigns.
On September 10, APP also reported progress in an ongoing KP immunization campaign, with the provincial EOC reporting an overall first-day coverage rate of 99 percent across the campaign’s targeted areas.
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