ISLAMABAD: The Government of Japan announced a US$ 4.35 million grant to procure essential oral polio vaccines as part of its continued support to Pakistan for its polio eradication efforts.

According to a statement issued here on Monday, this latest grant will be utilized for the procurement of 24 million oral doses of vaccines. It will allow the programme to reach around 21 million children under five years old with focus on the high-risk districts with persistent poliovirus transmission. The vaccines will be used during vaccination drives planned in 2022.

According to the National Action Plan (NEAP) 2021-2023, the Polio Programme’s strategic goal is to permanently interrupt all poliovirus transmission in Pakistan by the end of 2023. The notes of the grant were signed and exchanged between the Government of Japan and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the grant agreement was signed and exchanged between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and UNICEF.

“The Polio eradication efforts made substantive progress this year by limiting the virus circulation resulted significant decrease of Polio cases despite challenges posed by COVID-19. The programme is confident to permanently interrupt all types of polioviruses by the end of 2023,” said Dr Shahzad Baig, National Coordinator of the Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme.

Appreciating the support of the Government of Japan, Dr Shahzad said, “We are grateful to the people and the Government of Japan for their unwavering support for the children of Pakistan, the new funding will enable us to reach every child with the essential polio vaccine.”

Mr WADA Mitsuhiro, Ambassador of Japan, appreciated the significant progress made this year in controlling the spread of poliovirus, saying that “we are now only one step away from the goal, polio-free Pakistan.”

He reiterated his support to the initiative for eradicating all types of polio virus by the end of 2023 and noted that “Japan has provided assistance in maternal and child health, polio eradication, and routine immunization in Pakistan for decades and will continue its support that will directly benefit vulnerable people.” The new funding is part of the continuous support of the Japan Government in the Polio Eradication programme since 1996.