Islamabad (TDI): The Government of Japan has announced a new $ 3.1 million grant to procure essential oral polio vaccines as part of its support to polio eradication efforts in Pakistan.
Pakistan Polio Programme will utilise these funds to get over 20.22 million doses of vaccines to support polio drives next year.
Pakistan is one of only two nations globally that has yet to eradicate polio.
In 2024, Pakistan reported a total of fifty-nine cases of polio.
With the current surge in polio cases in Pakistan, the government, in collaboration with its partners, is set to implement an aggressive, extensive, and strategic action plan in 2025 aimed at eradicating this life-threatening disease among minors.
Each national immunization campaign targets more than 45.4 million children under the age of 5, with over 400,000 frontline workers, predominantly females, playing key role in ensuring the Polio Programme’s outreach.
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Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on National Health Services said that despite the challenges, Pakistan is committed to eradicating the virus by mid-2025.
“As we prepare to start polio drives next year, together with our partners we will focus on resolving the remaining problems that stand in our way to access all children.”
Japan’s has been very useful in helping us get closer to reaching zero polio cases. We are grateful to the Government and people of Japan for their support in fight against polio in Pakistan,” Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad Bharath added.
“The challenges faced this have highlighted the critical need to accelerate our efforts to eradicate thevirus. With Japan’s help, we are further strengthened to intensify our efforts, aiming to achieve zero polio cases by mid-2025 under the leadership of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif,” stated Ayesha Raza Farooq.
Charge d’ Affaires ad interim of Japan to Pakistan TAKANO Shuichi said that Japan has assisted Pakistan to eradicate polio for nearly thirty years despite hindrance such as floods, COVID, and terrorist attacks.
Since this year marks the seventieth anniversary of Japan’s ODA to Pakistan, we would like to renew our commitment to continue to promote routine immunization including polio vaccination in the country.”
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The new funding is part of the support from the Government of Japan to the Polio Eradication programme since 1996. To date, the grant and loan contribution from the Japan has amounted to approximately $ 242.194 million dollars to support the Polio programme in Pakistan through UNICEF.
“We hail the government’s commitment to making serious efforts to ensure all minors receive the essential vaccine. We believe that vaccines, the most effective way to strengthen children’s immunity, will be used with the understanding of parents and communities and the efforts of frontline workers. We sincerely hope that all the polio drives of this year will be conducted successfully toward zero polio cases”, said MIYATA Naoaki, Chief Representative, JICA Pakistan Office.
