ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved $50 million to increase the availability of vaccines for infectious diseases including polio for children under two-year of age in Pakistan.
The National Immunisation Support Project (NISP) is supporting the country’s Expanded Programne on Immunisation (EPI) that aims at immunising all children against eight vaccine preventable diseases including tuberculosis, poliomyelitis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, Hepatitis-B, haemophilus Influenza type b (Hib) and measles, said a statement of the bank.
“Strengthening EPI will also support Pakistan’s access to newer vaccines which are either in the process of roll-out (pneumococcal vaccine) or under planning (rotavirus vaccine),” it said. The project is also receiving additional support of $80 million grant from a World Bank administered multi-donor trust fund, Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is also supporting the project through an innovative partial conversion of the International Development Association (IDA) credit into a grant upon successful achievement of project objectives.
Illango Patchamuthu, the World Bank country director for Pakistan said, “The World Bank and other development partners are working with the government of Pakistan to strengthen routine immunisation services at the critical endgame stage of polio eradication, particularly as Pakistan introduces injectable polio vaccine into its routine schedule.”
The project will incentivise provincial governments capacity for rigorous monitoring and effective implementation of its programme, including strengthened vaccine logistics, and deploying and expanding qualified technical and managerial personnel.
“The project will establish linkages of the federal and provincial EPI cells with private sector health providers and health-related civil society organisations working in low coverage catchment areas, especially urban slums,” he added.
Children under two years of age in Pakistan are the main beneficiaries of NISP – particularly children belonging to the poorest households in which immunisation coverage is the lowest. The credit is financed by IDA – the World Bank’s fund for the poor – with a maturity of 25 years, including a grace period of 5 years.
