Government of Canada announces new support to fight polio in Pakistan

Posted

on Apr 05, 2016

April 4, 2016 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today announced new programming to help stop the transmission of polio in Pakistan.

Minister Bibeau made the announcement following her first meeting with Tariq Azim Khan, High Commissioner of Pakistan in Canada.

Canada is contributing $40 million over three years toward two initiatives by UNICEF and by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The Building Community Support for Polio Eradication project, implemented by UNICEF, will increase community acceptance of polio vaccination team workers through local language media campaigns, the delivery of health information packages, and the recruitment and training of community-based vaccinators.

The WHO’s Improving Surveillance to End Polio Transmission project will improve the detection and tracking of polio, as well as improve the monitoring of all polio eradication efforts.