Polio campaign : Pakistan values Japan’s support in vaccine procurement: Farooq

Ambassador briefed on eradication programme, cold chain management

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan greatly values the financial support extended by the people and government of Japan to procure much needed polio vaccines, Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq said on Wednesday.

Welcoming Japanese Ambassador Takashi Kurai to the National Polio Emergency Centre, she expressed hope that the Japanese contribution will go a long way in stopping the circulation of poliovirus in Pakistan.

According to a statement issued by the by Ministry of National Health Services, the ambassador was also briefed about the polio eradication programme and polio cold chain management system by Farooq and National Polio Emergency Coordinator Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar.

The visiting delegates were also taken to the polio control room for a briefing on live data collection during vaccination campaigns.

Japan has previously extended a soft loan of ¥6.29 billion (Rs6.14 billion) to the Government of Pakistan for polio eradication in Pakistan. The notes were signed and exchanged between Ambassador Kurai and Economic Affairs Additional Secretary Anjum Assad.

This loan will be utilised to procure 273 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccines for polio eradication campaigns.

Japan has supported polio eradication campaign in Pakistan, since 1996 by way of procurement of polio vaccine, strengthening the logistics for delivery through cold chain system, improvement in the treatment of vaccinators, dispatching Japanese medical experts, and so on. Thereby Japan’s assistance including this tranche reaches approximately ¥22.6 billion (Rs22.1 billion).

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2016.