ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday recommended a second revision of the polio eradication emergency plan worth of US$986.3 million.
Presiding over the CDWP meeting, Planning, Development and Reforms Minister Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar said that polio eradication is a national priority and needs a holistic action plan in order to ensure zero polio cases in Pakistan, as per national and global commitments.
The meeting was attended by Planning Secretary Zafar Hasan, Planning Commission members and officials from both the federal and provincial governments.
The forum was informed that polio will be eradicated from the country by the end of 2019; however, two years would be required for a follow-up and complete eradication of its core reservoirs.
Two international organisations of United Nations (UN) including United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organisation (WHO) are operating with the delivery of polio vaccination, supplementing immunisation and interruption of wild poliovirus in the country.
Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar, who is also the Planning Commission deputy chairman, instructed the sponsoring agency to devise a monitoring mechanism for smooth implementation, obtain provincial government’s commitment for reimbursement of loans and run a robust campaign jointly with the provinces to eradicate the core reservoirs where sewerage water is contaminated with poliovirus.
He instructed to provide a breakup of social mobilisation and communication expenditure for the next three years, giving one-week time to respond to the observations.
The project was provisionally recommended to Executive Committee on National Economic Council (ECNEC) for approval.
