What happened: Japan has announced a $4.35 million grant to Pakistan for purchasing essential oral polio vaccines as part of its ongoing support for the eradication of the crippling disease. Details: The grant will be used to purchase 24 million oral vaccine doses. It will enable the programme to reach approximately 21 million children under the age of five. The main focus would be high-risk districts with persistent polio virus transmission. The grant notes were signed and exchanged between Japan and UNICEF as was the grant agreement between Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and UNICEF. Dr. Shahzad Baig, the national coordinator for Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme says that he is confident that Pakistan will be 100% polio-free by 2023. He further expressed his gratitude towards the Japanese government for being there for the children of Pakistan. More: WADA Ambassador from Japan Mitsuhiro praised this year’s progress in polio virus control. He says that “we are now only one step away from the goal i.e. a polio-free Pakistan.