Islamabad, 19 March 2023 (GNP): By pledging to finance the Government of Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate polio, the French Development Agency (AFD) joined the ranks of the world’s allies in the endeavour.
The Special Health Secretary was greeted by a group from the AFD and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which also paid a visit to the NEOC for polio eradication. The group traveled to Pakistan for a week to assist with health and social protection initiatives there. The meetings were a part of that trip.
AFD pledged to support Pakistan Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) in immunisation activities, disease surveillance, polio campaign monitoring, and other technical areas during a briefing at NEOC, as well as to fill a funding gap of $55 million (under the PC-1 for polio eradication, 2022-2026) that programme required.
Dr. Shahzad Baig, the NEOC Coordinator, stressed the value of the anti-polio infrastructure to Pakistan’s healthcare system: “We are very grateful to the French Government for this support. The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme is a vital part of our healthcare system and investing in polio is an investment in the country’s overall health system,” he said.
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The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme is a crucial component of our healthcare system, and investing in polio is an investment in the nation’s overall health system.
Agnès Soucat, Director of Health and Social Protection for the French Development Agency, led the trip, while Jay Wegner, Global Head for Polio Eradication for the Gates Foundation, led the mission.
The group spoke about how the polio infrastructure was at the forefront of responding to the COVID-19 epidemic and the most recent flood response at a meeting with the country representatives of WHO and UNICEF.
After the NEOC conference, the Special Health Secretary Mirza Nasir ud Din Mashhood Ahmad convened a debriefing at the Ministry of Health and discussed the effects of the floods of 2022, which wrecked 2,000 medical institutions, on Pakistan’s health system.
“Despite the challenges of last year, the Government of Pakistan did not waver in its resolve to eradicate polio. We remain committed to the cause and the multiple vaccination campaigns we have held since the floods are a testament to that commitment,” the Health Secretary said.
Agnes placed special emphasis on the improvement of the primary healthcare system, integrated disease surveillance and response systems, and prioritising preparedness for future emergencies and re-emerging diseases, as well as enhancing the abilities of front-line staff to provide primary healthcare and other needs.
Also, Agnes discussed Pakistan’s polio infrastructure as a strength and a potential to utilise it for other health and emergency responses beyond eradication. The delegation members of the French Agency expressed appreciation for the strides Pakistan has achieved in the fight against polio and promised to help Pakistan in its efforts to stop the spread of wild poliovirus this year, as planned in the global eradication strategy.
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Polio hasn’t been present in the majority of Pakistan for about two years. In seven districts of southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, wild poliovirus is still present and threatens to threaten kids with weakened immune systems and malnourished bodies.
To ensure that every child receives the life-saving vaccine, the PEI, with the assistance of its partners, has increased vaccination schedules in these districts and continues to put forth avant-garde ideas, such as immunizing children who live in nomadic communities and immunizing children in transit.