Fight against polio: Japan pledges Rs333 million for vaccines

Grant to cover vaccines for over 14 million children in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan made significant progress in its polio eradication efforts in 2015, with the support of its international partners, especially Japan, speakers at the signing of an international grant agreement said on Tuesday.

The Government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Unicef signed a 360 million Japanese Yen (Rs333 million) grant agreement to support the polio eradication programme in Pakistan.

The grant will pay for the procurement of over 16 million doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), which would help vaccinate over 14 million children under the age of five in ten mop-up campaigns this year.

Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq, commended the grant saying, “The Government of Japan has consistently been helping children in Pakistan. These funds come at a critical juncture as the virus is cornered in just three remaining sanctuaries – the Khyber-Peshawar corridor, Karachi and the Quetta block.”

“A determined focus on delivering high quality campaigns for the remainder of the season and finding every missed child is critical to ensure the virus cannot survive and spread”, she added.

At the signing ceremony, Japanese Embassy Charge d’Affaires ad interim Junya Matsuura appreciated the progress of last year’s anti-polio campaigns, while emphasising the importance of solidarity between stakeholders. “Japan’s commitment and strong partnership with the Government of Pakistan and Unicef will continue to complete polio eradication in Pakistan,” he said.

Yasuhiro Tojo, chief representative of JICA in Pakistan, said, “We are hopeful that this grant will serve as a drive for the final phase of Pakistan’s fight against polio virus. Pakistan today stands on the brink of eradicating polio, and there’s every reason to hope that, within the next year, Pakistan will join other countries where transmission of the disease has been halted”.

Pakistan has been making a considerable headway in the fight against polio. Last year, it witnessed an 82 per cent decline in the number of children paralysed by polio, down to 54 cases compared to 306 in 2014.

Unicef Representative in Pakistan, Angela Kearney, said, “This latest contribution by the Government of Japan could not come at a more important time. The upcoming campaigns are some of the best-prepared and highest quality in Pakistan’s history, and if the vaccination campaigns are fully and consistently implemented in all areas, Pakistan could stop polio this year”.

The government of Japan has supported the Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan since 1996. Approximately Rs15.1 billion (¥16.3 billion) has been delivered to date for the procurement of OPV and Inactivated Polio Vaccine, and for strengthening vaccine management and cold chain systems.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2016.