According to Pakistan’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), 27% deaths among children under five years are caused by diseases that could be prevented through vaccinations. These diseases include Poliomyelitis (also known as Polio), Neonatal Tetanus, Measles, Diphtheria, Pertussis (whooping cough), Hepatitis-B, Hib Pneumonia, Meningitis and Tuberculosis. As part of their mission to eradicate polio, the EPI enlisted the help of the PITB to address vulnerabilities in the programme. These relate to less geographic coverage and performance of field vaccinators.
The PITB provided vaccinators smartphones with applications to digitise their fieldwork and monitor attendance and performance. The smartphones were used to enter real-time immunisation records that were then sent to a centralised database.