A three-day training workshop on social mobilisation for expanded programme for immunisation (EPI) was kicked off in Peshawar on Wednesday with a purpose to develop a pool of social mobilisers at district level to convince parents to provide vaccines to their infants in time.
The workshop was arranged by EPI, NWFP Health Department with the collaboration of Technical Assistance Management Agency (Tama). NWFP Health Services Director General, Dr Jalilur Rehman was chief guest at the inaugural session while head of the EPI, Dr Abdul Waheed Khan, Provincial Co-ordinator TAMA, Dr Shabeena Raza and social mobilisation expert, Sheeba Afghani were present on the occasion.
District superintendents vaccination and EPI co-ordinators from various districts are participating in the workshop.
Speaking at the inaugural session, DG Health Dr Jalilur Rehman highlighted the importance of workshop and expressed the hope that the opportunities would facilitate the participants to improve their skills in social mobilisation.
Now they would be able to convince successfully parents to administer vaccine to their youngsters, he remarked.
The DG urged participants to utilise opportunities with devotion to enhance their capabilities. He said that there was dire need of improving routine EPI and for this parents should be convinced about importance of the vaccines.
EPI Deputy Director Dr Abdul Waheed Khan said that due to lack of awareness, literacy and communication gaps, routine EPI was facing problems. Emphasising the need of strengthening routine EPI, he said without giving attention towards that sector, eradication of polio was impossible.
It was realised that due to lack of awareness parents were not giving attention to administer vaccine for protecting their children from TB, measles, hepatitis, diphtheria, pertussis, neonatal tetanus and polio.
The participants will be trained basic concepts of social mobilisation, preparation of effective plan for community mobilisation and developing indicators to measures accurately the impacts of the social mobilisation drive.
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