Organization Description
VITAL (Vaccines and other Initiatives To Advance Lives) Pakistan Trust represents a substantial and concerted effort to reduce child mortality in Pakistan. Our initial focus is on the coastal belt of Karachi, covering a population of 300,000. Set on making a significant impact to decrease the number of under-five, preventable child deaths, we focus on an array of problems:
• A critical lack of skilled birth and family planning services
• Low vaccination rates and care-seeking for childhood illnesses
• High prevalence of under-nutrition in mothers and children
• Lack of women′s empowerment
VPT was established on December 27th, 2013, and is registered as a Trust under The Registration Act 1908, with the NTN- 4284902-7. The founder, Dr. Anita Zaidi, is a renowned professor and philanthropist. She is the former Chairperson of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, at Aga Khan University and Hospital, and the winner of the Caplow Children's Prize. Currently, Anita Zaidi is the Director of, the Enteric and Diarrheal Diseases (EDD) program at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.