Vaccine procurement: Japan, Unicef join hands to eliminate polio from Pakistan

An agreement is signed by representatives of Japanese government and the Unicef for a grant of $3.7 million.

ISLAMABAD:

The Japanese government and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) have joined hands to boost up the global eradication effort in Pakistan, one of the last reservoirs of polio virus in the world.

An agreement to this effect was signed by representatives of Japanese government and the Unicef for a grant of 389 million yen (equivalent to $3.7 million or Rs400 million) here on Friday.

The grant will be used to procure the oral polio vaccine, cold chain equipment and capacity building programmes.

Japanese ambassador Hiroshi Inomata affirmed his country’s commitment to and partnership with polio infected countries for complete eradication of polio from the world.

He also emphasized that Pakistan and the international development partners should not weaken their effort despite the existing complex challenges facing the programme in Pakistan.

The Japanese government has been supporting the polio eradication Initiative in Pakistan since 1996. Total Japanese grant assistance by 2013 comes up to about $90.95 million, and has accounted for 22% of all oral polio vaccine procured so far.

Kawasaki, Chief Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Pakistan, said “This year’s grant assistance will enable UNICEF to procure 15 million oral polio vaccine doses and 255 solar-powered ice line refrigerators particularly for the heavy loadshedding areas in FATA and Balochistan”.

This grant will serve as a drive for the final phase of the Pakistan’s fight against polio virus Kawasaki added.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 8^th, 2014.