Pakistan has made significant progress against crippling virus

Proportion of missed, unvaccinated children has fallen to 4%

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made steady and systematic progress against polio virus transmission over the last year. The paradigm shift from ‘coverage’ to ‘no missed children’ has led to significant results. The current National Emergency Action Plan aims to achieve zero missed children.

The proportion of children that are missed, and as a result remain unvaccinated, during polio campaigns has fallen to four per cent in 2016. Similarly, the number of confirmed wild poliovirus cases declined from 54 cases in 2015 to just 14 cases by August 2016.

Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan Takashi Kurai expressed his appreciation for the significant progress made by Pakistan in the fight against polio. The ambassador was on a visit to Rotary Shifa Community Health Centre on Tuesday to observe the national immunisation campaign.

On the occasion, Ambassador Kurai also pledged Japan’s continued support to Pakistan in the fight against polio. “Japan remains fully committed to supporting the government toward a world free of polio,” said the Japanese Ambassador.

Japan is one of the leading donors and has supported the polio eradication initiative in Pakistan since 1996. The Japanese government has donated approximately US$212.5m to date for procurement polio vaccine and to strengthen vaccine management and cold chain system.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 28^th, 2016.