Published: 31 May 2013
Provisional agenda item 15.3
A66/18
Poliomyelitis: intensification of the global eradication initiative
Committee A
Statement by Amy Dietterich, Health Department
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Thank you, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, honourable Ministers of Health and Honourable Chair, for allowing the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to make a brief statement on the endga
me to eradicate polio and the importance of using this initiative to strengthen health systems and harness economies of scale and scope.
We would like to begin by paying tribute to the Afghanistan Red Crescent Society’s mobile health team, two of whom -- a driver and a vaccinator -- were killed last month while providing vital care to people living in remote areas of Jowzjan Province.
This terrible episode is an example of how our volunteers and staff risk their lives every day to provide equitable access to immunisation and health services for the most vulnerable.
Such incidents, though tragic, reinforce our resolve to ensure that every child is immunized and every woman, man, girl and boy has access to an essential package of health services, including immunisation.
As the world looks to eradicate polio and strengthen national immunisation programmes, focus has turned to our national societies and the vital services they provide in the remaining polio strongholds: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Our members and volunteers come from the communities they serve, and our National Societies function as auxiliaries to their governments.
The Nigerian Red Cross has presence in all northern states. Their activities link communities and children to health facilities and immunisation.
The Pakistan Red Crescent recently completed an 18-month polio social mobilisation project in high risks areas in Karachi and Balouchistan, vaccinating 19000 children and mobilizing 46000 households through outreach interventions, while the Afghanistan Red Crescent provides EPI through 44 basic health units and 15 mobile health teams. During the last 10 months, Afghan Red Crescent health facilities and dedicated community health volunteers have vaccinated more than 245,000 children, and there is further potential for the Pakistan and Afghanistan Red Crescent Societies to work in their respective border areas.
We and our national societies believe every child can be reached with health services and polio can be eradicated, but only if we invest seriously in the capacity of local organizations. Civil society organizations deliver as much as 60 per cent of health services in some developing nations. This vital link with communities must be recognized and resourced if we are to ensure that the last mile is sustainably covered, not just to eradicate polio, but to reliably connect people to health systems and services.
Ladies and gentlemen, honourable Ministers of Health, the Red Cross Red Crescent and our 187 national societies stand ready to support you as you strive to reach every woman, man and child in your country with immunisation and health services. We are a network of nearly 13 million active volunteers, every one of them ready to end polio.
Thank you.