Polio eradication programme: Bill, Melinda Gates Foundation announces new grants

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday announced new grants as part of its ongoing support to Pakistan's polio eradication programme and to assist the Sindh government's response to this year's floods. The grants will fund initiatives aiming to provide assistance to polio survivors as well as address the urgent needs of families affected by the floods in parts of Sindh province.
Sindh province experienced a significant polio outbreak following the floods and currently accounts for nearly 20 percent of cases reported in the country. So far, this year Pakistan has reported 161 cases of polio, more than any other country in the world.
"Pakistan announced important steps last week to implement its emergency plan more effectively. If implemented well, rapid progress can be made in stopping the virus," said Michael Galway, a senior Program Officer for the foundation closely working with the Pakistan programme.
The foundation has allocated more than 198 million rupees in grants for additional support to Pakistan in 2011. This includes a grant to WHO to support the physical rehabilitation of more than 200 children paralysed by polio; a grant to the Government of Sindh to directly support more than 4,400 families in Umerkot and one other district affected by this year's floods and a grant to Save the Children to support relief operations. Umerkot is one of 17 districts/towns in Sindh reporting polio this year.
In August, the Gates Foundation and the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) announced a strategic partnership to bolster Pakistan's fight against polio. Through an innovative financing mechanism, JICA extended a loan of 5.63 billion rupees to the Government of Pakistan, which the Gates Foundation will repay if Pakistan meets polio eradication targets by 2013. Today's grants will augment support to WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank for vaccine procurement, immunization campaigns and communication efforts for polio.
Progress against polio in Pakistan is critical to achieve global eradication because polio anywhere means there is a risk of polio everywhere. A recent outbreak in China proved to be genetically linked to earlier transmission in Sindh while virus circulation in Afghanistan has been linked to transmission of wild poliovirus in Sindh, Balochistan and KP/FATA.
The government plans to increase accountability for the polio program at the Union Council level as well as efforts to ensure that vaccinators hired to deliver polio vaccines at the household level are of the appropriate age and gender, better trained and supervised, and paid on time and directly. The foundation will continue to work with the Government of Pakistan and other partners, including WHO, UNICEF and Rotary International to ensure that all children, in Pakistan and around the world, are protected from polio.-PR