- Federal government owes $65m to UNICEF for vaccines procured
- Funds not allocated for vaccine purchase next year either
While epidemic diseases like measles and polio are on the rise in the country, the federal government has not allocated funds for purchasing vaccines in the current fiscal year.
The sources revealed that the situation is unlikely to change in the upcoming fiscal year with no funds allocated for buying vaccinations.
Highly reliable sources said on Wednesday that the federal government owed $65 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for vaccinations procured by the agency. The situation is likely to continue because neither the funds are being provided to pay dues owed to UNICEF nor the Priority Committee involved in the budget preparations has allocated funds for the procurement of vaccinations in the fiscal year 2013-2014.
The inter-ministerial meeting convened by the Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry discussed the alarming spread of epidemics like measles in the light of a report prepared by the federal ombudsman.
Health representatives of all the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and the Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) suggested that the federal government should directly procure vaccinations from UNICEF. The representatives said that vaccinations procured through UNICEF cost Rs 23.5 per dose while the import through open tenders cost Rs 45 each dose.
Health representatives said the Extended Program on Immunisation (EPI) allowed direct procurement of vaccinations from UNICEF through the Public Procurement Regularity Authority. It was agreed to approach the PPRA to issue a fresh exemption for vaccines procurement because it involved lives of millions of children.
The meeting was apprised that the Global Alliance Vaccine Immunisation had assured to provide $30 million for buying vaccinations. The participants of the meeting also stressed that the EPI programme should continue for another two years before it was independently run by the provinces. The participants also agreed with the federal ombudsman’s proposal that he had sent to the prime minister stating that all health related bodies should be placed under one umbrella organisation. They suggested this proposed body should interact with international agencies. It was assured in the meeting that all the powers given to the provinces through the devolution plan would not be taken back in any sense.
