Kamal visits FDI Directorate
This was stated by the Director General (DG) FDI, Dr Soofia Yunus, during a briefing to the Federal Minister for Health, Mustafa Kamal, who visited the FDI Directorate, here on Wednesday to review its operations, performance, achievements and challenges faced by the Expanded Programme on Immunization.
The minister was accompanied by Health Secretary Syed Waqarul Hassan, according to the official spokesperson of the Ministry of Health.
Dr Yunus, briefed the minister on the functions of the directorate, highlighting the key role of the immunisation programme in preventing 12 deadly vaccine preventable diseases across the country.
Recognising the importance of an effective vaccination programme, Minister Kamal instructed that vacant positions within the programme should be advertised immediately and filled with qualified and competent professionals through a transparent recruitment process. 'To ensure the success of the vaccination programme, the appointment of skilled professionals is crucial,' he emphasised. 'We must evaluate the challenges and formulate practical recommendations to strengthen the programme.'
He also announced plans to engage with provincial health ministers to build a unified and robust approach to immunisation and directed the teams to share challenges that the minister will be discussing with health ministers for strengthening the Expanded Programme on Immunization.
Kamal shared his vision of a transformative shift in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) by advocating for a model where the responsibility, interest and ownership to seek out immunisation services lies with parents and caregivers, who are encouraged to visit government health facilities proactively.
Under this new direction, the emphasis will be on empowering and mobilising communities to take initiative in accessing vaccines, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility.
Kamal maintained that this approach will enhance public awareness, strengthen demand, and increase accountability for routine immunisation. By encouraging families to engage actively with the health system, he aims to improve service quality, boost vaccination coverage, and instil long-term health-seeking behaviour, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and sustainable national immunization program.
The minister also visited FDI's 1166 Sehat Tahaffuz Free Helpline and the Vaccine Logistics Management Information System (vLMIS) Control Room, where he received a detailed briefing on their operations.
He issued directives for further improvement of the systems to enhance service delivery.
In this regard, the minister stated that reviewing our existing strategy and learning from our mistakes is an opportunity for us. Hence, FDI Team is directed to redevelop a strategy in 15 days that shall lead us towards our ultimate immunisation goal.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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