Mrs Aphone Vixathep(front left) and Mr Masato Yamada   display an agreement on Japanese funding for polio immunisation.

Japanese firm funds polio vaccinations

The Ministry of Health and a Japanese company will partner in the provision of polio vaccinations in continued efforts to prevent an outbreak of polio in Laos.
This will be supported by funding under the Polio Vaccine Procurement Budget, which was agreed to by the Lao Ministry of Health and Japan’s Nihon Reuse System Co., Ltd.
The funding agreement was signed by Head of office under the Ministry of Health, Ms   Aphone Visathep, and the President of Nihon Reuse System Co., Ltd., Mr Masato Yamada.
The two parties will jointly implement the agreed areas of cooperation in the procurement and administration of polio vaccines.
Nihon Reuse System Co., Ltd. will provide financial support to the Ministry of Health for the procurement of vaccines used in routine polio immunisation.
Speaking at the agreement signing ceremony, Ms Aphone said the Lao government and the Ministry of Health have long supported efforts to improve the health of women and children in particular.
“Over the years, we have been able to meet many targets, as reflected in the fact that in 2000 we successfully eradicated polio in Laos,” she said.
In addition, the incidence of tetanus in women and newborns has been significantly reduced by increasing the Penta 3 vaccination rate from 74 percent in 2010 to 93 percent in 2019 and to 95 percent in 2023.
The Ministry of Health has asked provincial and district health authorities around the country to calculate the number of children eligible for polio vaccinations, the Centre of Information and Education for Health said last week.
All children and women in Laos will have access to polio vaccinations to secure the gains made against the disease through more widespread immunisation programmes.
This will further boost their immunity, and support the government’s policy to provide effective health services.
Laos was declared polio free in 2000, joining all the other countries that had successfully wiped out polio. But in 2016, a series of laboratory tests confirmed that polio was back after two children in Borikhamxay province died from the virus.

By Phetphoxay Sengpaseuth
 (Latest Update January 25, 2025)