Pakistan Approves $1.78 Billion Plan To Eradicate Polio

Pakistan’s government has approved a $1.78 billion funding package aimed at eradicating polio within the country. Announced on Monday by the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the emergency plan is a collaboration with Global Polio Eradication partners, the Islamic Development Bank, and the French Development Agency. The World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund will execute the project, distributing vaccines nationwide.

According to the Health Ministry, two polio cases have been reported in 2023, both in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Although traces of the virus have been found in sewage samples in other regions, the virus has primarily remained restricted to KP since 2021. The project signifies a significant step forward in Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to eliminate polio, a disease that can cause permanent disability and death.