1 September 2021 – The World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with Pakistan's Drug Regulatory Authority and Expanded Programme on Immunization, recently organized a training workshop on strengthening pharmacovigilance, improving adverse events following immunization reporting and strengthening case investigation. 

Dr Palitha Mahipala, WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Asim Rauf, Cheif Executive Officer of the Drug Regulatory Authority, and Dr Muhammad Akram, National Programme Manager, Expanded Programme on Immunization attended the training.

Dr Palitha said that, "COVID-19 vaccines are the most massive public health interventions ever deployed in the world. We have a collective responsibility to monitor and report on any adverse effects of the new COVID-19 vaccines through reporting of adverse events following immunization and pharmacovigilance systems as a national and international obligation, and build public trust on vaccine safety and efficacy. He commended the national vaccination programme of the Government of Pakistan and said that WHO Pakistan was fully committed to coordinating with the Drug Regulatory Authority and Expanded Programme on Immunization to strengthen regulatory systems on pharmacovigilance, adverse event reporting and linkages with the system to deliver COVID-19 vaccines.