Our stories. Find out more about our work towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

22 September 2026, Islamabad, Pakistan – In Dera Ismail Khan district, some vaccinators travel 5-6 km to deliver a single outreach vaccination session. Others cover 30 km. In the most remote areas, the distance can extend up to 90 km – usually by motorcycle, if one is available. This is what outreach means for many of the 15,000 WHO-trained vaccinators who work for the Pakistan Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to protect millions of children and mothers with life-saving vaccines.In August 2026, WHO partnered with EPI to ask 183 of these frontline workers what their daily job is like in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The objective: to understand their challenges so that they can receive better support. “I joined the health department with a passion to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases. Hurdles are everywhere, but that does not mean I’ll quit my job,” said Nadia, a vaccinator who provided feedback during one of the 13 focus group discussions held across 7 districts.Long distances across remote areas, difficult terrain, limited resources, misinformation, extreme weather conditions, misconceptions, lack of awareness among communities… These are some of the recurring obstacles faced by Pakistan’s routine vaccinators – around 15% of whom are women – to bring the science behind vaccines to every community.Routine vaccinators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during a listening exercise supported by WHO in Pakistan. Photo credit: WHO PakistanFemale vaccinators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, after a focus group discussion in August 2026. Photo credit: WHO PakistanAs explained by vaccinator Maryam during one of the sessions, community trust depends on the same vaccinator returning, session after session. “When someone refuses, it is difficult to convince them, but we try our best.”Male vaccinators from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, after a focus group discussion supported by WHO in August 2026. Photo credit: WHO PakistanVaccinators did not only describe problems. They also shared their first-hand experience working with their communities to propose solutions adapted to their different contexts.The consultations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be followed by similar exercises in other provinces of Pakistan.With WHO support, the Pakistan EPI administers routine vaccines every year to more than 7 million children and 5.5 million women, protecting every family against 13 vaccine-preventable diseases. Behind the scenes, frontline vaccinators are the workforce that makes it possible.They are the last stretch of a national programme that depends on 1 person reaching 1 household. They are the human connection needed to ensure that no family is left behind.Written by Ayesha Javed.Edited by José Ignacio Martín Galán.Note to editors:Names have been changed to preserve the anonymity of the frontline workers.