Advocacy workshop held with stakeholders on resource identification, mobilization and implementation for Polio Transition Plan – Nepal

 

The Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP) with technical support from WHO Country Office-Nepal organized a high-level advocacy workshop on resource identification and mobilization for the Polio Transition Plan on 22-23 January. Over 70 officials from the Department of Health Services, MoHP; provincial government officials, including provincial Ministry of Finance, Planning section and provincial health directorate; Nepal Paediatric Society and partners were sensitized on the transition plan.

The Director General of Health recommended health authorities to focus on implementation of transition plan, and encouraged senior authorities to include domestic resources integrating other disease surveillance. WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) updated participants on regional progress on polio transition highlighting key polio transition strategies.

The workshop facilitated active engagement of participants in discussions on resource identification and mobilization. Participants prepared timeline-based provincial action plan with focus on domestic cost-sharing and signed a commitment to sustain polio-free status and gains on other priority vaccine preventable disease. Participants also emphasized the importance of extensive advocacy and periodic consultative meetings at province and municipality to ensure effective implementation of the transition plan.

This initiative follows the endorsement of Nepal’s Polio Transition Plan in November 2023 by the MoHP, in alignment with recommendations from the WHO South-East Asia Regional Certification commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication and the National Immunization Advisory Committee of Nepal.