ISLAMABAD: At a time when Operation Zarb-e-Azb and health workers’ dedication have improved conditions for a sustained anti-polio campaign in the country, a new roadblock has appeared in the way of the vital programme - money.

Dawn has learned that provincial health departments have informed the Planning Commission that the programme is short of $22 million to complete the current campaign and needs another $314 million for the three-year programme that should follow it in 2016.

It would be a tragedy if the programme stalls for want of money as dedicated efforts against great odds reduced new polio cases to 25 this year compared with 306 in 2014, say people associated with the programme.

An official of Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), requesting anonymity, said that Islamic Development Bank loaned $327 million for the ongoing 2012-2015 polio programme but Bill Gates and Melinda Foundation converted it into a grant.

“A new PC-I requiring $314 million is being prepared for the next three years,” he said.

“This time the government of Pakistan will be advised to contribute about half of that amount to honour its commitment to eradicating polio virus from the country.”

This amount, and the $22 million required for the ongoing programme need to be committed before start of 2015-16 financial year.

“There are rumours that modalities of funding might be changed with all the funding going to a third party trusted by WHO, Unicef and other stakeholders in the polio programme,” the official said.

An official statement said on Friday that the Planning Commission asked the provincial health departments in a meeting to develop a PC-1 for the Polio Eradication Initiative for 2016-18 in order to keep the current momentum alive.

Both sides agreed that “changing any modality of funding provision may hinder the effectiveness of the process,” said the statement.

The Independent Monitoring Board, World Health Assembly, the Technical Advisory Group on polio and Chairman Polio Oversight Board have appreciated the performance of Pakistan.

National Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) Coordinator Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar told the meeting that the $22 million funding gap till Dec 2015 includes operational cost of $11.43 million, cost of social mobilisation activities of $7.46 million and the surveillance cost of $3.1 million.

Dr Safdar said that although funding is available for the year 2015, it takes three months to procure vaccine. So supplies for the next quarter of the year have to be arranged in advance for which $22 million are required.

“We are in touch with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the amount and have received assurances,” he said.

“As for the PC-I for 2016-18 period, Islamic Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency have indicated willingness to provide at least 50 per cent of the required $314 million. We will try to get more but the remainder the government of Pakistan will have to bear,” he said.

“Pakistan has come on track and situation on polio is improving so I am sure that donors will also come back and we will get more funding,” he said.

Since Pakistan is moving towards inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), he said, the number of campaigns will be less.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2015

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