Despite the potential of geospatial technologies to track and monitor coverage, they are underutilized for guiding immunization program strategy and implementation, especially in low-and-middle-income countries. We conducted geospatial analysis to explore the geographic and temporal trends of immunization coverage, and examined the pattern of immunization service access (outreach and facility based) by children. We extracted data to analyze coverage rates across different dimensions (by enrolment year, birth year and vaccination year) from 2018 till 2020 in Karachi, Pakistan using the Sindh Electronic Immunization Registry (SEIR). We conducted geospatial analysis to assess variation in coverage rates of BCG, Pentavalent (Penta)-1, Penta-3, and Measles-1 vaccines using Government targets. We also analyzed the proportion of children receiving their routine vaccinations at fixed centers and outreach and examined whether children received vaccinations at the same or multiple immunization centers. A total of 1,298,555 children were born, enrolled or vaccinated from 2018 till 2020. At the district level, analysis by enrollment and birth year showed coverage increased between 2018 and 2019 and declined in 2020, while analysis by vaccination year showed consistent increase in coverage. However, micro-geographic analysis revealed pockets where coverage persistently declined. Notably 27/168, 39/168 and 3/156 Union councils showed consistently declining coverage when analyzing by enrollment, birth and vaccination year respectively. More than half (52.2%, 678,280/1,298,555) of the children received all their vaccinations exclusively through fixed centers and, 71.7% (499,391/696,701) received all vaccinations from the same centers. Despite overall improving vaccination coverage between 2018 and 2020, certain geographic areas have consistently declining coverage rates, which is detrimental for equity. Making immunization inequities visible through geospatial analysis is the first step to ensure resources are allocated optimally. Our study provides impetus for immunization programs to develop and invest in geospatial technologies, harnessing its potential for improved coverage and equity.

Emerging evidence suggests that sleep problems are more common among individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM) than in the general population; these sleep issues are associated with poor glycemic control and they negatively affect the overall prognosis of the disease by increasing cardiometabolic risk. Our study aimed to determine the frequency of poor sleep quality and its association with glycemic control among Pakistani adult patients with DM. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the outpatient department (OPD) of The Indus Hospital (TIH), Karachi, and included 329 participants. To be eligible, participants had to be 14 years or older, should have been visiting the OPD at TIH for six months or more to seek treatment for DM, and had to give informed consent. Participants were assessed for poor sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score and glycemic control using HbA1C levels ascertained through electronic health record review, with higher HbA1C levels reflecting poorer glycemic control. Two-thirds of the participants were females (n=212; 64.4%), and approximately 90% of the participants were married (n=292; 88.8%); 57% (n=188) of the participants were found to have poor sleep quality (PSQI of >5) and 233 (70.82%) had poor glycemic control (HbA1C of >7). Interestingly, no significant difference was observed in the PSQI scores between participants with controlled diabetes and those with uncontrolled diabetes. Based on our findings, there is a high prevalence of sleep disturbance among Pakistani adults with DM, and we believe this necessitates the fostering of sleep-promoting interventional research in the country, as it might be highly rewarding and would positively affect the overall prognosis for diabetes by improving cardiometabolic risks. However, our results did not indicate any significant association between sleep quality and glycemic control. Further research should be conducted to explore the association between sleep disturbance and DM in Pakistani adults, by employing objective measures of sleep quality and involving a larger sample of individuals with DM to determine if these results hold true.

Background: Measles-related morbidity and mortality persists due to suboptimal and delayed vaccination, predominantly in low- and middle-income countries where more than 95% of global measles deaths occur. We evaluated the coverage, timeliness of measles vaccination and its predictors for children aged 12–23 months in Sindh, Pakistan. Methods: We analysed immunisation data from Sindh Province's Electronic Immunisation Registry for 6.2 million children aged 12–23 months. We assessed vaccination coverage at specific ages, calculated timeliness using Expanded Programme on Immunisation-Sindh criteria and examined predictors for timely vaccination using Cox proportional hazard regression. Spatial mapping was used to identify zero-dose measles hotspots. Results: Among 6 227 450 children aged 12–23 months, 80.6% received the first measles vaccine dose and only 58.1% of those vaccinated children aged 15–23 months received the second dose. Only 36.6% and 31.4% of children received measles-1 and 2 at the recommended age range (measles-1: 270–301 days; measles-2: 453–484 days). Subnational analysis identified 26.5% of Union Councils with ≥25% measles unvaccinated children. Children of educated mothers (≥11 years) compared with uneducated mothers had a higher timely measles vaccination likelihood (measles-1: HR=1.24; 95% CI: 1.23 to 1.26; p=0.010 and measles-2: HR=1.19; 95% CI: 1.18 to 1.21; p<0.001), while children who received the last vaccination at an outreach compared with a fixed site had a lower timely measles vaccination likelihood (measles-1: HR=0.91; 95% CI: 0.90 to 0.91; p<0.001 and measles-2: HR=0.93; 95% CI: 0.93 to 0.94; p<0.001). Conclusion: Suboptimal and delayed measles vaccination coverage casts serious doubts on attaining measles elimination by 2030, as stated in the Immunisation Agenda. Continued high-level national commitment and implementation of targeted strategies are imperative to achieving global measles immunisation goals.

Gender-based inequities in immunization impede the universal coverage of childhood vaccines. Leveraging data from the Government of Sindh’s Electronic Immunization Registry (SEIR), we estimated inequalities in immunization for males and females from the 2019–2022 birth cohorts in Pakistan. We computed male-to-female (M:F) and gender inequality ratios (GIR) Tfor enrollment, vaccine coverage, and timeliness. We also explored the inequities by maternal literacy, geographic location, mode of vaccination delivery, and gender of vaccinators. Between 1 January 2019, and 31 December 2022, 6,235,305 children were enrolled in the SEIR, 52.2% males and 47.8% females. We observed a median M:F ratio of 1.03 at enrollment and at Penta-1, Penta-3, and Measles-1 vaccinations, indicating more males were enrolled in the immunization system than females. Once enrolled, a median GIR of 1.00 indicated similar coverage for females and males over time; however, females experienced a delay in their vaccination timeliness. Low maternal education; residing in remote-rural, rural, and slum regions; and receiving vaccines at fixed sites, as compared to outreach, were associated with fewer females being vaccinated, as compared to males. Our findings suggeste the need to tailor and implement gender-sensitive policies and strategies for improving equity in immunization, especially in vulnerable geographies with persistently high inequalities.

Poor accessibility of immunization services coupled with limited options for transportation and socio-cultural norms that hinder women's mobility are among the key factors contributing to poor immunization coverage in rural areas. We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of establishing a free-of-cost, women-only carpool service for immunization in a rural setting in Pakistan and evaluated its preliminary impact on immunization coverage and timeliness among children. We conducted a feasibility study in four selected immunization facilities in Shikarpur District, Sindh. A local transport vehicle was hired and branded as an immunization carpool service. Women having un- or under-immunized children aged ≤2 years were invited to visit immunization facilities using carpool vehicles. Information on demographic indicators and service experience was collected. Child immunization details were extracted using the government's provincial electronic immunization registry to estimate immunization coverage and timeliness. Between January and October 2020, six immunization carpool vehicles provided uninterrupted service and transported 2422 women-child pairs, completing 4691 immunization visits. Majority of women reported that the carpool service improved accessibility (99.6%) by offering group travel (82.9%) and reducing their dependency on family members (93.4%). Preliminary estimates reported an increase in immunization coverage and timeliness across antigens among participating children compared to non-participating children, with significant increase in proportion for BCG coverage (38.1%; p < 0.001, CI: 32.8%, 43.4%) and measles-2 timeliness (18%; p < 0.001, CI: 13.3%, 22.4%). A women-only immunization carpool service implemented within a rural setting is feasible and highly acceptable. Key factors contributing to the model's success include increased mobility and independence of women, cost-savings, and a culturally and contextually appropriate mechanism of transport embedded within the local setting. Increased accessibility to health services also contributed to improved immunization coverage and timeliness among children.

: Covid-19 has universally disrupted primary health care, but routine childhood immunizations are one the most affected services. We analyzed big data in vaccines for measuring the 1-year impact of Covid-19 on outline childhood immunizations for the 48 million population in the Sindh province of Pakistan. We extracted and analyzed >3.7m real-time immunization records of 0-23 months old children from the Sindh Government's Electronic Immunization Registry (EIR). Using a 6-month baseline preceding the COVID-19 lockdown, we quantified the lockdown's (March 23-May 9, 2020) impact on daily immunization rates by geographical area and the change in coverage rates at the one-year mark since the lockdown. The lockdown resulted in 53% drop in the number of immunizations. The impact in rural areas as more than in urban areas (54.9% decline vs 47.5% decline from baseline), and slums had a slightly larger decrease in immunization coverage than non-slum areas (53.8% vs. 51.3%). Of 1,246,321 children who missed immunizations during first year of the pandemic, 76% of these children were eventually vaccinated by the end of March 2021. Similarly, of the 417,553 children who had dropped out during the initial 7-week national lockdown (March 23-May 10, 2020), 79% were immunized by March 2021. Our analysis of EIR data shows that the catch-up and recovery of coverage rates have primarily been driven through intensive outreach vaccination efforts instead of an increase in demand. One year since the onset of the pandemic, the average daily immunization doses administered through outreach increased by 121 percent above baseline estimates. In contrast, vaccines administered at immunization clinics were still 22 percent below baseline. The example of Pakistan shows LMICs can successfully deploy mitigation strategies to catch up with missed children during Covid-19 and sustain routine childhood immunizations to close immunity gaps. Key messages: Although the lockdown resulted in a 53% drop in immunizations, at the 1-year mark since the pandemic started, 76% of children who missed immunizations are vaccinated. Pakistan data shows LMICs can rectify routine immunization coverage and immunity gaps and rebound successfully to their pre-COVID-19 coverage rates.