Kathmandu, December 19:

The Ministry of Health and Population has sent a proposal to the World Health Organisation to include Polio Immunisation Campaign under routine immunisation programme from next year to achieve polio eradication goal by 2008.

Dr Shyam Raj Upreti, Chief of Expanded Programme on Immunisation said the government had forwarded a proposal to WHO to include Polio Immunisation Campaign in the routine immunisation programme for next two years.

The results of first and second PIC show that the average national coverage is 95 per cent but in Chitwan, Manang and Morang only 90 per cent targets were achieved. The Rapid Convenient Survey sh-owed that the low turnout was the result of project target being more than the number of children. The survey suggests that one per cent children might have missed campaign.

This year the government started the PIC after the detection of two polio virus cases. The health ministry with technical support from UNICEF is organising the third phase of PIC on December 23-24.