Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) have signed an agreement for immunization of BISP beneficiaries in Gilgit-Baltistan region.

A ceremony to this effect was held in Islamabad on Wednesday at a meeting jointly chaired by Minister for National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar and Chairperson BISP, MNA Marvi Memon.

The partnership is expected to directly benefit five thousand BISP beneficiaries and nine thousand children in four districts of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The beneficiaries will be immunized and incentivized for their participation under a new grant from World Bank, amounting to 3.5 million dollars.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for National Health Services Saira Afzal Tarar said interventions like Conditional Cash Transfer would help to increase the demand of routine immunization among the people, particularly the poor segment of the population in Pakistan.

Speaking on the occasion, Chairperson BISP, Marvi Memon said this is second conditional cash transfer programme being launched by BISP.

She added that the social mobilization program of Waseela-e-Taleem initiative was launched in five districts initially as a pilot project and has been extended to 50 districts across Pakistan.