Germany pledges additional pound 5m to Pakistan to support polio eradication efforts.

ISLAMABAD -- The government of Germany on Friday pledged an additional pound 5 million to Pakistan to support polio eradication efforts in the country, said National Emergency and Operations Centre (NEOC).

A statement released by NEOC said that the contribution, which will be received by the World Health Organization (WHO), will enable the polio programme to accelerate its outbreak response activities.

Speaking on behalf of polio eradication partners, the WHO Representative in Pakistan, Dr Palitha Mahipala, thanked Germany for their generous contribution. While most of the funding will be used to vaccinate children during door to door polio immunization campaigns, part of it will be used to offer vaccines to high risk populations who cross Pakistan's borders via 123 transit points which have polio workers. Over 26.1 million children have been vaccinated in 2019 and within the first three months of 2020 through vaccination at such transit points.

'Intensifying our efforts towards this shared goal of polio eradication has never been so important. This year, we have faced challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic, but it has not deterred us. Rather, it has strengthened our resolve, and with this important support, we will continue to make up on the ground that was lost,' said Dr Mahipala.

Polio vaccination resumed under strict COVID-19 prevention measures in July in Pakistan after a four-month pause triggered by the global pandemic. Although necessary to protect both health workers and communities from COVID-19, the temporary pause in house-to-house campaigns, coupled with pandemic-related disruptions to routine immunization and other...