By IANS
New Delhi : The government will give Rs.23.44 billion (Rs.2,344.56 crore) for the polio eradication programme in the country, the cabinet decided Friday.
The funding for the programme will be in consonance with the existing norms, while the honorarium to vaccinators and supervisors would be increased, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) said after a meeting here.
It said that the Department of Health and Family Welfare would be permitted to negotiate with the World Bank and other external funding agencies to bridge the gap between the total requirement and availability.
In India, 864 cases of polio were reported in 2007, while 106 were reported till February end this year.
“The elimination of polio will improve the quality of lives of those otherwise affected by polio involving life-long disability, thus improving national productivity and eliminating wasteful expense on treatment and rehabilitation,” an official statement said.