Islamabad (GNP): Japan has announced a $4.3 million grant to help Pakistan buy more than 28 million doses of oral polio vaccine for 2027. The funding comes as Islamabad works to stop poliovirus transmission by the end of next year.
The money will go through Pakistan’s Polio Eradication Initiative (PEI) and will support nationwide campaigns to protect millions of children under five. Its purpose is to interrupt the spread of wild poliovirus, which Pakistan has yet to stop.
The country remains one of only two in the world where wild poliovirus transmission continues. Cases fell from 74 in 2024 to 31 in 2025, but eight have been reported so far in 2026.
Six of this year’s cases were found in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where insecurity and limited access make vaccination drives harder. This is why sustained immunization is seen as essential to reaching every child.
The government and its international partners have set out a path for that effort in the National Emergency Action Plan 2026-27, under the Roadmap to Zero. It targets interruption of poliovirus transmission by the end of 2027.
Each nationwide campaign aims to vaccinate more than 45 million children under five, with the help of over 400,000 frontline health workers. The new grant will help ensure the vaccine supply is there for those rounds.
Ayesha Raza Farooq, the Prime Minister’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, welcomed the contribution as timely. She thanked the Japanese government and people for their continued partnership.
Japan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Akamatsu Shuichi, reaffirmed Tokyo’s commitment to Pakistan’s health priorities and its goal of ending transmission by the end of 2027. He said Japan has backed the polio program since 1996, working closely with UNICEF and other partners, and that this year’s grant is larger than last year’s.
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Partner agencies also voiced support. Yusuke Shinozaki, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Pakistan, praised the government’s commitment and the dedication of health workers serving communities in difficult conditions. He also acknowledged UNICEF and other partners for helping deliver vaccines across the country.
Pernille Ironside, UNICEF Representative in Pakistan, called Japan a steadfast partner. She said the contribution would help sustain high-quality campaigns and make sure every child receives the vaccine.
The grant builds on a partnership of nearly three decades. Since 1996, Japan has contributed more than $248 million in grants and loans through UNICEF to support vaccination campaigns in Pakistan.
Farooq said every dose supported by the grant would bring Pakistan closer to a polio-free future.
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
