Kathmandu, July 19

Speaker Onsari Gharti today said it was unfortunate that the political parties instead of focusing their efforts on implementation of the new constitution were divided on the issue of forming a new government.

Speaking at the ‘3rd International Colloquium on Sustainable Immunisation Financing’ organised by the Ministry of Health and Women, Children, Senior Citizens and Social Welfare Committee of the Parliament, she said, “People want to see the parties working together closely for implementation of the new constitution.”

The Speaker said political parties should address the needs of citizens by forming a consensus government instead of holding a debate on whether a new government can be formed under the existing constitutional provisions.

“Nepal should focus on immunising its citizens against preventable diseases. People in the rural areas of the country are dying because they lack access to health services,” she said, adding the government must make health services accessible to all.

Similarly, Health Minister Ram Janam Chaudhary said, “Our country should reduce dependency on foreign countries. The government is working to launch a vaccination campaign and declare Nepal fully immunised.”

According to a report presented by Child Health Division, Department of Health Services, around 87 per cent children have been immunised so far while 33 percent are out of reach. Nepal has set the target of immunising 95 per cent of children by 2020.

The Sabin Vaccine Institute’s Sustainable immunization Financing today assembled senior officials from 19 countries to share their successes in increasing government budget allocations for national immunisation programmes.

Greater political commitment and advocacy are building the momentum needed for countries to fully finance their immunisation programs by 2020 and achieve the goals set forth in the Global Vaccine Action Plan.

“The need for sustainably financed national immunisation programmes is recognised by Sustinable Development Goal III and the GVAP, a framework for extending the full benefits of immunisation to every man, women and child by 2020,” said Dr Jon Andrus, executive vice president at the Sabin Vaccine Institute. The colloquium will be held for three days till 21 July in Kathmandu.