OUR STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD - Pakistan signed agreements worth $72m to sustain its anti-polio campaigns on Friday. A signing ceremony in this regard was held at the Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Division. On behalf of the Government of Pakistan Arif Azeem, Federal Secretary Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Division signed the agreements whereas from the international partner agencies, Dan Rohrmann, Country Representative of UNICEF in Pakistan and Dr Guido Sabatinelli, World Health Organisation Representative to Pakistan inked the documents. The first agreement signed between Govt of Pakistan and UNICEF is worth 41 Million US Dollars. The agreement provides for support by the World Bank to be channelled through UNICEF for supply of polio vaccine by UNICEF to the Government of Pakistan while the second agreement between the Govt and World Health Organization worth 31 Million US Dollars for support by the Japan International Co-operation Agency to be channelled through WHO. Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Division, Arif Azeem said the support was vital to sustain the supply of polio vaccines in the country through which 32m children were being protected annually from life-long disability. He said though 'We are confronted with a daunting task with 75 cases of polio reported so far this year, the experience in Punjab and Sindh has shown that the targets are achievable. The Secretary added that that he was pleased to inform that Punjab, the countrys most populous province has reported no polio case so far this year. Sindh has done remarkably well and there has been a turnaround with no polio case reported over a considerable period of time. Dan Rohrmann, country head of UNICEF expressed all out support in the initiative. He informed that the support worth 41mDollars will be used by UNICEF to provide 250 Million doses of polio vaccine to the Government of Pakistan. This will meet the countrys requirements for a period of nine months. 'I am pleased that UNICEF is part of these major efforts to eradicate, only the second time in the history of the world, a disease that affects so many children around the world remarked Dan Rohrmann. Dr. Guido Sabatinelli, WHO Representative informed that the support provided through his organization will help meet the operational expenses for polio campaigns conducted in the length and breadth of the country. The funds will also be used to provide additional incentive to the vaccinators who are part of the polio teams with a view to improving their performance, he added. Chief Representative of Japan International Co-operation Agency in Pakistan, Takatoshi Nishikata said his country was providing support to Pakistan to fight polio since 1996. JICA was committed to supporting the countrys drive to root out polio once and for all, he said. Earlier, Dr. Altaf Bosan, National Manager, Expanded Program on Immunization informed that with the help of the armed forces, inaccessibility to children has been reduced in FATA whereas in Balchistan, the district managements in high risk areas are now fully geared up. Referring to the signed agreements he said the World Bank mission visited in July 2010 and reviewed all indicators and suggested the programme to process for additional financing of one years polio vaccine from July 2011 to June 2012 as a continuation of third partnership which has was signed between Economic Affairs Division and World Bank in July 2009.