Japan to fund Pakistan's 2025 polio campaign

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Japan has announced a $3.1 million grant to support Pakistan's efforts to eradicate polio, with funds earmarked for the 2025 vaccination campaigns.

This grant will help purchase more than 20 million doses of the polio vaccine, part of Pakistan's ongoing fight to eliminate the disease, Express News reported.

The announcement comes as Pakistan struggles with a rise in polio cases, with 59 cases reported this year.

The grant aims to assist the government’s efforts to protect children under five years old from the debilitating disease.

A spokesperson for Japan’s government stated that the grant would support Pakistan’s ambitious vaccination drive in 2025, targeting millions of children across the country. The money will also be used to strengthen the infrastructure and delivery systems for polio vaccinations.

Pakistan remains one of only two countries where polio has not been eradicated, with Afghanistan being the other.

However, the country has made significant progress in recent years, and the new funding will help ensure that polio vaccination reaches even the most remote areas.

In response to the rise in cases, the Pakistani government is preparing a comprehensive action plan for 2025, with support from global partners. The plan aims to address the increasing number of cases and reduce the risk of further outbreaks.

"With Japan's continued support, we are reinforcing our efforts to eliminate polio, aiming to reach zero cases by mid-2025 under Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership," said Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister's focal person for polio eradication.

She expressed confidence that the partnership with Japan would help achieve the goal.

Every national polio vaccination campaign in Pakistan targets over 45 million children under five, supported by more than 400,000 frontline workers, many of whom are women, ensuring vaccine coverage reaches every child.