Japan Pledges its Continued Support to the Campaign to Eradicate Polio from IndiaNEW DELHI, 25 January 2011 - The Government and people of Japan today pledged their continued support to the Government of India’s campaign to eradicate polio from the country. The contribution of 192 million Yenwill be used for the procurement of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to help protect the most inaccessible and marginalized children in India from polio. Over the past decade, India has recorded a sharp decline in polio cases. Intensive efforts to track down the virus to its epicenter and the introduction of the monovalent and bivalent oral polio vaccines have consolidated gains in the fight against polio. In 2010, 18 Type 1 polio cases were reported, compared to 80 cases in 2009. The Government of Japan has been supporting polio eradication in the North Eastern states and Assam since 1996. Ms. Karin Hulshof thanked the Government of Japan for its continued support to UNICEF’s mission in eradicating polio. “Our partnership has contributed to a drastic reduction in polio cases; from 1600 in 2002 to 42 in 2010. The eradication efforts need to continue at the current intensity and the goal will only be reached when we can say that no children have been affected at all by the various wild polio viruses.” Ms. Hulshof acknowledged the leadership of the Government of India in the Polio Eradication programme, supported by the joint efforts of invaluable partners such as the World Health Organization, CDC, Rotary International, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Angela Walker, Chief of Communication, UNICEF India Geetanjali Master, Communication Specialist, UNICEF India Alistair Gretarsson, Communication Specialist, UNICEF India Sonia Sarkar, Communication Officer- Media, UNICEF India
|
