Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation in Pakistan.

The UK is deeply concerned about the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation in Pakistan and its potential to undermine the hard-fought gains that have been made in protecting children from vaccine preventable diseases. We are tackling this misinformation through our strong support of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. These organisations use a range of tools to monitor this – including population surveys, media and social media monitoring and through community dialogue.

Through GPEI and their local implementing partner UNICEF, the UK is contributing to the appointment of a new social media team working to address the causes of polio vaccination hesitancy and refusal in Pakistan.

Furthermore, UNICEF, through their support from Gavi and the UK, assisted the development of an Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilization Strategy for the Government of Pakistan to support immunisation activities.