The National Immunisation Plan (NIP), scheduled to start from 2008, is already plagued by fund crunch. In the absence of aid donors’ long-term financial commitment in the face of the escalating cost of vaccines give ample reasons to doubt the efficacy of the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation. The Financial Sustainability Plan on Immunisation estimates a resource gap of $7million for 2008 even after accounting for short-term donor commitments already made. For 2009, the resource gap is estimated to touch $10 million.

However, for 2006, it has estimated a budget of $18 million, for which there is no resource gap. But the costs are expected to rise up to $28.91 million for 2008 because of the introduction of new vaccines against diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, JE, etc. In addition, the coverage of Japanese Encephalitis vaccine is expected to rise from 10 per cent in 2006 to 45 per cent in 2012.

Despite the government’s claim of vanquishing polio in 2000, some cases were detected in the Terai region in 2004. Malaria, too, has staged a comeback. Given the regrettable incidences, it makes all the more sense to let the masses have an easy access to life-saving vaccines, regardless of the high costs involved. All this, no doubt, calls for exploring additional avenues of funds whether bilateral or multilateral. But more important is the need to at least try to become self-reliant. Though the government has been increasing the annual outlay by 10 per cent each year — which still is woefully inadequate — there is an urgent need to mobilise funds through internal sources as well. The involvement of the civil society in the vital matter of health cannot be overemphasised. The vaccines mean a lot, especially to an underdeveloped nation like Nepal whose manpower cannot afford to remain incapacitated. The health officials should, therefore, adopt adequate measures in the direction of achieving the national goal of keeping the debilitating diseases at bay.