Ministry facing funds shortage for anti polio drive
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—The Health Ministry is facing immense financial difficulties to make the country polio-free as $181 million is required to run the campaign effectively for the next three years while Pakistan for this purpose has funds of only $51 million.
The Health Ministry has devised a three-year Special Programme aiming to make Pakistan polio-free but facing shortage of funds, as $87.82 million is required for 2008 and at present $51 million is available.
In 2009, $50.48 million is required while $43.17 million would be needed for 2010 and by this Pakistan overall needs $130.85 million.
UN Agencies, polio partners, donor governments, the private sector, foundations have extended every possible support to ensure that the necessary resources are available to ensure Pakistan achieves its targets. Political advocacy is also provided through Director General of the UN, heads of the UN Agencies, heads of the UN Agencies, the G-8 and members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
According to the details, Pakistan is among the four countries of the world where the disease was present on alarming level and this year 18 cases of polio were reported, out of which, 9 was reported in Sindh, 4 in NWFP, 1 in FATA, 3 in Balochistan and 1 case was reported in Punjab.
Out of 151 districts of Pakistan, only 12 districts are infected with polio virus. Punjab with a population of 90 million was without a polio case for 13 months until September when there was one case was confirmed in Dera Ghazi Khan.