The Honourable Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho inaugurated the “Choti Khushi” Immunization Incentive Support Program today for low immunization coverage districts in Sindh province, Pakistan.
Karachi, Sindh, Jan 26, 2022 – The Honourable Health Minister Dr. Azra Fazal Pechuho inaugurated the “Choti Khushi” Immunization Incentive Support Program today for low immunization coverage districts in Sindh province, Pakistan. The launch took place at the Khalid Jamil Dispensary in Karachi where the Health Minister was accompanied by representatives from the Sindh Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), the Provincial Health Department, UNICEF, WHO, and other public health organizations. The Program aims to provide
mobile-based small conditional cash incentives (up to PKR 1,200) to caregivers of children aged
0-23 months in 7 low-coverage districts of Sindh: Karachi East, Central and West, Hyderabad, Sujawal, Kambar, and Jacobabad. These districts are marked by the lowest pentavalent-3 and measles-1 vaccines coverage. IRD Pakistan has launched the Choti Khushi program in close collaboration with EPI Sindh and Federal EPI, with support from the Government of Sindh’s Health Directorate and the Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) program.
The Choti Khushi program will provide mobile-based conditional cash incentives for caregivers of around 1.2 million children of 0-23 months of age in the 7 low-coverage districts annually. For every immunization visit completed, caregivers with a registered pre-paid mobile number on any mobile network will receive mobile airtime of 200 PKR, which will add up to 1,200 PKR if all six essential immunization visits are completed. Caregivers can avail this facility at all public and private immunization centers across the seven selected districts. The facility will also be available via EPI outreach activities.