Govt sets up Vaccination Fund

Govt sets up Vaccination Fund


Kathmandu, Feb 14: Stakeholders and experts have stressed the need for giving top priority for the Immunization Fund to give a continuity to the immunization programmes in the country.

At an interaction programme on sustainable financing for immunization organized by the Ministry of Health in the Capital City today, the speakers argued that Nepal should move ahead on the path to becoming independent in the immunization programme.  

The Immunization Programme is Nepal's one of the successful interventions in health sector.

Currently, the government is providing 11 different types of vaccines for free and the total cost of the programme is estimated nearly Rs 2 billion.

The Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI) has also supported by providing some fund for the immunization programme.

The government has already set up an Immunization Fund as the assistance amount being provided by the GAVI is likely to be reduced after some years. Currently, a total of Rs 70 million has been collected in the fund.

Speaking at the programme, Health Minister Gagan Thapa said that support of all sectors was needed to give priority for the Immunization Fund to ensure independency in vaccination programme.

"We need to be self-reliant in vaccination. The government is positive for this. Intensive discussions are needed to enlarge the fund," Minister Thapa said.

Likewise, President of Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare Committee of the Legislature-Parliament Ranju Kumari Jha suggested that some amount of money being spent in different sectors should be allocated to increase the amount of Immunization Fund.

On the occasion, Acting Secretary at the Ministry Dr Kiran Regmi, Director General  of Health Services Department Dr Rajendra Panta, Director of Child Health Division Dr Bikash Lamichhane, Rotarian Dr Badriraj Pandey, representative of the WHO Dr Jos Vandelaer and others expressed their opinions on the issue.

The government is preparing to introduce vaccination programme of Rota Cholera and typhoid while a total of 22 districts are declared fully-immunized zones. RSS

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