- Takashi Kurai hopes complete eradication of polio disease from Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: The Japan government on Wednesday announced a grant of 520 million Yen to support the supply of the essential polio vaccine for the case response and mop up vaccination campaigns during the 2017-18 low transmission season of the poliovirus.
According to a statement issued here, grant notes were signed and exchanged between the Japan government, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The grant worth $4.63 million will support the procurement of over 28 million doses of oral polio vaccine (OPV); sufficient to vaccinate 25 million children under the age of five in the high-risk districts across Pakistan enabling the programme to quickly close the immunity gaps.
Japan’s Ambassador Takashi Kurai said that the polio was indeed a global challenge for public health but this crippling disease was preventable by vaccination. “Japan continues to support polio vaccination in Pakistan and I do hope that every child is surely vaccinated and very soon, we will achieve the long-cherished goal of complete eradication of this disease from Pakistan,” he said.
Acknowledging commitment by the Japan government, Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication Senator Ayesha Raza Farooq said that over the years, the government and people of Japan have stood by Pakistan even during the difficult times. “Pakistan’s programme is today rated among one of the best public health service delivery initiative across the globe,” she said.
“We are proud of our achievements so far and are keen to achieve our goal of interrupting the polio virus during this critical low season. With five cases at this point in 2017, our programme has never been in a better place to do so,” she said. Health Secretary Naveed Kamran Balouch said that the steady support of the Japan government and other partners and the working together has been a crucial element of the successes in last two years.
JICA chief representative Yasuhiro Tojo said that the determination of Pakistan to wipe out the polio virus can be clearly seen in the record low number of cases. “We are glad to be part of this admirable effort and hope that our support to procure additional oral polio vaccine will accelerate the country’s pace towards achieving this milestone.”
UNICEF Acting Country Representative Cristian Munduate said that the new grant comes at a time when the country was making headway towards stopping poliovirus circulation. “I am confident that with the sustained commitment from the Government of Pakistan and strong support from all partners, together we will defeat the virus during this low transmission season.”
Pakistan is making significant progress in the fight against polio as only five cases have been recorded so far this year compared to 16 by this time in 2016. The purpose of multiple vaccinations is to fully protect each individual child and to contribute to the protection of every child within the community by building and maintaining high population immunity to stop transmission of the wild poliovirus.
The Japan government has been supporting the Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan since 1996. Approximately $218.35 million has been funded including this grant of JPY 520 million, for procurement of oral polio vaccine, inactivated polio vaccine and cold chain equipment to strengthen vaccine management.
