Global Polio Eradication Initiative
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a public-private partnership led by national governments along with organizational partners. The five partners include – the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance. The Initiative's main goal is to complete the eradication and containment of all wild polioviruses so that no child ever again suffers from paralytic poliomyelitis.
Launched in 1988 after the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and its partners have helped countries make progress in protecting the global population from this debilitating disease. As a result, global incidence of polio have decreased by 99.9% since Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s foundation. It is estimated that 16 million people today are walking who otherwise would have been paralyzed by the disease. In addition, more than 1.5 million people are alive who otherwise have been lost. The Initiative has vowed to continue tackling polio and get rid of the final 0.1% of polio cases.
Responding To A Polio Outbreak
Anytime a child is paralyzed by polio in any country, the World Health Organization moves fast to stop the virus. From gathering information to coordinating vaccination campaigns to delivering two drops of polio vaccine into the mouth of every child, the outbreak response protects children against this paralyzing disease. The video below outlines the World Health Organization's response efforts.
References:
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Global Polio Eradication Initiative: Our Mission. http://polioeradication.org/who-we-are/our-mission/ . Accessed October 10, 2020.