PESHAWAR, Sep 09 (APP):The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched a youth-led strategy to promote the importance of polio and other immunizations by engaging students from schools, colleges and universities as ambassadors to spread awareness and encourage vaccine acceptance in their communities. Under the strategy, the first awareness session was held for students of City University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, here on Wednesday. Polio National Team …
EOC KP launches youth-led social, behaviour change initiative to promote immunization awareness
PESHAWAR, Sep 09 (APP):The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched a youth-led strategy to promote the importance of polio and other immunizations by engaging students from schools, colleges and universities as ambassadors to spread awareness and encourage vaccine acceptance in their communities.
Under the strategy, the first awareness session was held for students of City University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, here on Wednesday.
Polio National Team Lead for UNICEF in Pakistan Melissa Corkum, Additional Secretary Health and EOC Coordinator, Shafiullah Khan, Senior Programme Officer Gates Foundation, Emaad Hassan, Dean City University, Prof Dr. Arif Shah and UNICEF Communication Officer, Shahdab Younas attended the orientation session.
“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 within schools, colleges and universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” said Shahdab Younas in her inaugural remarks.
She said students would participate on a voluntary basis and not only promote immunization messages but also raise awareness about nutrition, hygiene and other healthy practices in their communities.
Welcoming the guests, Dean City University, Prof. Dr. Arif Shah said it was a matter of pride that students of the university would contribute to a national cause aimed at protecting children from polio and promoting healthy practices in society.
He expressed the hope that the initiative would prove impactful by engaging young people in community awareness and encouraging the adoption of healthier practices.
Dr. Imran of EOC, in his presentation, stressed the need for participation by every segment of society to improve immunization coverage.
He said vaccination teams continued to face challenges in reaching all children due to parental refusals and security concerns in some parts of the province, particularly southern KP.
He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were the only two countries where wild poliovirus remained endemic and called for collective efforts to eradicate the disease from our country and the region.
Dr Imran said around 350,000 polio cases were reported in 125 countries in 1988, whereas till September 9, 2026, only 22 cases had been reported in Pakistan and Afghanistan, including three in Pakistan and 19 in Afghanistan, reflecting significant progress made through global eradication efforts.
“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 added.
UNICEF SBCC Specialist, Jahan-un-Din said the SAHI initiative aimed to promote wellness and the importance of vaccination among young people.
“Through youth, we can reach community members and engage with families where concerns or misconceptions about immunization still exist,” he said.
He told students that they were being invited to support polio eradication efforts in their neighbourhoods, as parental refusals and children being unavailable during vaccination campaigns remained important challenges.
Senior Programme Officer at the Gates Foundation, Emaad Hassan said the rationale for involving young people was to extend engagement with communities.
He urged students to take ownership of challenges facing the country and consider their participation in the initiative an opportunity to contribute to a national cause.
UNICEF Polio National Team Lead, Melissa Corkum said students were important change agents and their role in promoting immunization could serve as a catalyst for ongoing polio eradication efforts.
She said students’ participation in the SAHI initiative would represent an important partnership in global efforts to eradicate polio.
EOC KP Coordinator, Shafiullah Khan said City University had a significant presence in urban areas of Peshawar and engaging its students as immunization ambassadors could help improve vaccination coverage and address misconceptions about vaccines.
He said polio had become a source of stigma for some Pakistanis and could create difficulties for those travelling abroad.
He said considerable progress had been made towards eradication, adding that different segments of society including religious scholars, teachers, media professionals, social media influencers and now students were being engaged to achieve the goal of complete eradication.
SAHI members would receive technical training on community engagement and communicating health-related messages effectively in their respective areas, he added.
Shafiullah said universities in other parts of the province, including Hazara and southern districts, would also be approached for participation in the initiative.
He said a network of around 500 youth and 300 adolescents would be developed to serve as ambassadors for immunization and other healthy practices across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Earlier, students of City University expressed their willingness to participate fully in the SAHI initiative and asked questions from the experts to strengthen their understanding of issues and concerns commonly raised by community members.
