Pakistan

Vaccine audit: EPI should replace manual records

Findings of the vaccine audit were shared in the provincial consultative meeting

Our Correspondent October 06, 2016

Findings of the vaccine audit were shared in the provincial consultative meeting. PHOTO: AFP

ISLAMABAD: International vaccine experts have suggested that the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) should replace its manual records in all areas, in line with modern vaccine logistic management.

This was stated in the first independent vaccine audit of the EPI. The audit had been conducted to streamline vaccine stocks and their management system by identifying loopholes and issues.

Findings of the vaccine audit were shared in the provincial consultative meeting.

The audit had been carried out by an independent third party auditors along with representatives of GAVI mission who visited vaccine warehouses in the federal and provincial EPI departments to get first-hand information about the storage, record keeping and distribution mechanism of the vaccine stocks.

EPI’s National Programme Manager Dr Saqlain Ahmad Gilani told the provincial consultative meeting that the audit would help managing and updating the vaccine systems of the country.

While sharing the findings of the audit, representatives of GAVI mission expressed an overall satisfaction on the quality of vaccine stock management including the storage and distribution mechanisms.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2016.