Higher education institutions are increasingly recognized for their role in promoting community-based initiatives for the welfare of people and societies. Thus, universities can significantly enhance their impact by adopting a right-based approach to utilize potential of their students for various community-based activities including datevaluation, post and pre-evaluation campaigns in collaboration with the different stakeholders from public and private spheres.

Since 2023, Department of Sociology (MUST) is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) by contributing to the global health initiative of “Polio Eradication Campaign.” As polio immunizations are conducted nationwide to administer oral polio vaccine to all children of 5 years of age. These campaigns are conducted on national immunization and sub-immunization a collection and days to ensure oral polio vaccine to the children. For this purpose, students of the department of sociology were engaged in a 2-days LQAS & PCM Cascade Training Workshop for SNID-SEP-2024 AJK Zone. This training workshop was conducted by WHO trainers, i.e. Mr. Mudassar Ali Watto and Ms. Sumaira Gul in Video Conference Room of Network and Telecommunications Center of Mirpur University.

The students were trained in the data collection tools used by WHO for the post campaign evaluation (PCE) of immunization. Students trained on PCE signify how effective has been the immunization campaign while lot quality assurance (LQAS) a necessary part of the training evaluates that how good standards were ensured during the immunization in the specified districts. After two days of extensive training workshop, students were divided into teams under the supervision of supervisors among the students to conduct the PCE and LQAS of SNID-SEP-24 in two districts, i.e. Mirpur and Bhimber of AJK Zone. Finally, a successful evaluation campaign was carried out in 3rd week of September in both districts. WHO appreciated the engagement and contribution of Mirpur University of Science and Technology (MUST) in general and department of sociology in particular for the collaboration in successfully conducting second polio post campaign evaluation in AJK.