UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund

Published purpose

The overall goal of this project is to stop the spread of polio virus in Pakistan, where the vast majority of the remaining cases of polio occur. It is implemented by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which, along with the Government of Pakistan and the World Health Organization, spearheads the Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative. This initiative supports UNICEF’s activities in communities at risk of contracting polio across Pakistan. The project activities increase the community acceptance of polio vaccination team workers, through local language media campaigns, health information packages, and support to community level workers who engage community members on public health. These activities focus on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and the neighboring Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). In communities in these areas at highest risk for polio, the initiative hires community vaccinators who work in their own communities to vaccinate children and promote health. This innovative approach is referred to as Continuous Community Protected Vaccination (CCPV).