Eradicating polio and saving children from paralysis
In 1988, wild poliovirus (WPV) was endemic in more than 125 countries on five continents, paralyzing more than 1,000 children every day. The World Health Assembly voted to launch The Global Polio Eradication Initiative that year - the largest, internationally coordinated public health project to date.
By 2008, there were just 1,652 cases of WPV worldwide; the vast majority of which were in the four remaining endemic countries – Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Although significant progress towards eradication has been made, we are not there yet.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded by national governments, the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF.
Since 1988, over 2 billion children around the world have been immunized against polio thanks to the unprecedented cooperation of more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers, backed by an international investment of more than 5 billion US dollars.
The polio coalition also includes:
- the United Nations Foundation
- the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- donor governments (e.g., Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Qatar, the Russian Federation, Spain, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States of America)
- humanitarian organizations (e.g., the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement)
- corporate partners (e.g. Aventis Pasteur, De Beers, and Wyeth)
- the World Bank
The last mile to eradicate polio: the IFRC’s role
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) contribution to global polio eradication is essential. Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers can reach the most vulnerable and hard-to-reach people with oral polio vaccine (OPV) and can reduce barriers to vaccination caused by myths and rumours.
The IFRC’s Measles and Polio Initiative mobilizes funds to enable National Red Cross Red Crescent Societies to participate in their national and sub-national vaccination campaigns. National Societies maximize vaccination coverage with community-based activity during polio National Immunization Days (NIDs), which are held in the four remaining endemic countries and those countries subject to polio importation. For polio campaigns to be successful, over 95% of children ages 0-59 months must be vaccinated.
The work of the broader Red Cross Red Crescent Movement is also critical in achieving polio eradication. Polio is still endemic in security-compromised areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plays an important role there in facilitating vaccination of all eligible children.
For example, UN sanctions in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2000 made it difficult for UN agencies to provide their usual assistance. With the help of the ICRC, very successful door-to-door NIDs were carried out during the insecurity.
Volunteers play a vital role
In Nigeria, the last polio endemic country in Africa, Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS) is an active partner in polio eradication. NRCS has participated in multiple polio NIDs in July and August 2008 and January, March and May 2009.
The March 2009 NID was synchronized with polio outbreak response activities in seven other west African countries. NRCS mobilized more than 1,600 volunteers in 22 high-risk states. Social mobilization activities helped identify more than 100,000 unvaccinated children and resulted in more than 70,000 of those children being vaccinated against polio.
Since 1988, efforts to eradicate polio have been 99% successful worldwide, but polio still exists. In 2008 there were 1,652 case of wild poliovirus.
The 2005 target of a polio-free world has been missed and we now know that the last polio endemic countries remain the most challenging. With additional support from all partners, it is still possible to achieve the last mile in polio eradication.
Red Cross Red Crescent National Societies are committed to achieving polio eradication. End polio now.
Estimated support to polio activities in 2000–2008
|
Year |
National Societies receiving support |
Estimated Funding
(CHF) |
Estimated no. of volunteers |
|
2000-2001
|
Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Iraq, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Zambia |
868,820 |
20,000 |
|
2002
|
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iraq, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia |
1,096,256 |
25,000 |
|
2003 |
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt India, Niger, Nigeria |
722,735 |
15,000 |
|
2004
|
Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gambia, Madagascar, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone |
1,012,175 |
17,000 |
|
2005
|
Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, Mali, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Yemen |
888,562 |
15,000 |
|
2006 |
Chad, Niger, Nigeria |
82,657 |
** |
|
2007 |
Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria |
60,000 |
** |
|
2008 |
Angola, Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nepal, Nigeria, Tanzania |
144,658 |
** |
* Excludes funds from other sources: bilateral, in-country, DREF, or other partnership assistance.. Only reflects funds spent from International Federation Global Measles & Polio Appeal.
** Information forthcoming
Links
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
WHO Polio Fact Sheet
Documents
Global Polio Eradication Initiative Strategic Plan 2010–2012
WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record: polio articles