Kathmandu, March 30:

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) has finally decided to go ahead with its plan to launch the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) Campaign in four out of the 18 districts it has targeted.

The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) needs at least Rs 14 crore for the campaign to cover all the 18 districts — 16 in the eastern region and two other JE endemic districts. The government has chosen Morang, Sunsari, Rupendhehi and Kanchanpur for its campaign this year. The government had to withdraw the plan earlier after the funding agency, UNICEF, decided not to release the fund. UNICEF said the vaccines to be brought in the country have not received Goods Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Chengdu Institute of Biological Products in China, which is the sole company providing JE vaccines to the country, has not provided the manufacturing details to the WHO.

Dr Yasovardan Pradhan, the director of Child Health Division (CHD), told this daily today that the government has already bought the vaccines for the four districts. “We are awaiting shipment of the syringes and the campaign will kick off by the second week of May after the syringes arrive here,” Dr Pradhan said. The Ministry of Finance has expressed verbal commitment to provide funds for the remaining 14 districts. This, however, will

take along time, Dr Pradhan said.

“Hence, we have planned to go ahead with the programme in the four districts for the time being and will see about the rest after the government provides the funds.”

The only problem with the campaign, however, is that the achievement rate would be a mere 25 per cent as the campaign has to be launcehd only in four districts, Dr Pradhan said. “This is the first time that the programme is being implemented in the right time,” said Dr Pradhan.