Australia helps fund antipolio drive

Australia helps fund antipolio drive

JAKARTA: The Australian Embassy here has donated A$1 million
to the Ministry of Health to help fund Indonesia's latest polio
immunization in Banten, Jakarta and West Java provinces.

Australian Ambassador to Indonesia David Ritchie said that his
country had also allocated A$305 million this year to help
Indonesia deal with malnutrition.

As the health ministry recorded a lower number of children
vaccinated in the second round of the immunization campaign on
June 28, it required more operational funds to conduct house-to-
house immunizations.

Australia also provides assistance through its immunization
logistics expert who has helped the ministry through the World
Health Organization.

The health ministry also plans to expand its polio
immunization campaign to Central Java, Yogyakarta, Lampung and
South Sumatra provinces as early as August to protect at least 12
million children from the paralyzing waterborne virus. --JP