Global Eradication of Polio in Geneva
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Dr. Raj Shah speaking at the signing of the Protocol of Intent on Cooperation for the Global Eradication of Polio.
Source: U.S. Mission Geneva
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The world is on the verge of eradicating polio once and for all – the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has seen a 99 percent reduction in polio since 1988, and two of the four endemic countries saw significant improvement in 2010. Furthermore, GPEI’s efforts have led to the mobilization of 20 million volunteers around the world, the staging of mass immunization campaigns, and the vaccination of about 2.5 billion children worldwide. However, recent years have also seen sporadic resurgence in the disease, including new outbreaks in Central Asia and several new reported cases in Russia.
Ellyn Ogden, USAID Worldwide Polio Eradication Coordinator, said: “To eradicate polio, we must eliminate the persistent reservoirs of this disease, including insecurity; inconsistent management and ownership by local governments; sub-optimal communication and community mobilization; and reaching newborns, minority, and mobile populations. Because of the need to frequently repeat campaigns, there is often a certain fatigue about seeing yet another vaccination team knocking at the door. Yet these proactive house-to-house campaigns are the only proven way to eliminate polio from a country. And with the world being so close to wiping out polio forever, we can’t afford to give up or to settle for almost.”
“No child in the world should be paralyzed from polio when there is a safe, effective vaccine available at 14 cents a dose. The world is much closer to stopping transmission than ever before, and we have an obligation to wipe this virus off the face of the earth. With concerted effort by the international community to overcome the remaining reservoirs of virus and closing the immunity gaps in polio-free areas, there is room for optimism that we will achieve the Global Eradication Milestone of stopping transmission in two of four endemic countries and stopping all re-importations by the end of 2011.”
- Dr. Raj Shah, USAID Administrator |
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The United States is the largest bilateral donor to the GPEI, contributing more than $1.4 billion to date. Polio eradication is also a key part of the Administration’s Global Health Initiative (GHI). In 2009, President Obama announced a U.S. commitment to work with the Organization of the Islamic Conference on polio eradication during his speech in Cairo in which he called for a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world. Read about USAID’s approach to polio eradication. The new 2010–2012 GPEI Strategic Plan, recently endorsed by the World Health Assembly, requires a $2.6 billion budget through 2012, with a $1.3 billion funding gap.
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