World Polio Day 24/10

Polio Eradication, the End Game

Since its launch at the World Health Assembly (WHA) in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has reduced the global incidence of polio by more than 99% and the number of countries with endemic polio from 125 to 3. More than 10 million people are walking today who otherwise would have been paralysed.

That is an amazing result. Nevertheless, there is still a threat to the global community of ongoing poliovirus transmission in the last three endemic countries and the risk of circulating vaccine derived polioviruses (cVDPV).

Hence, on May 26^th of 2012, the World Health Assembly declared ending polio as a “programmatic emergency for global public health” and the need for a comprehensive polio endgame strategy.

The 4 main objectives of the endgame strategy are:

• Stop all wild polio virus transmission by the end of 2014 and new cVDPV outbreaks within 120 days of confirmation of the first case
• Hasten the interruption of all poliovirus transmission and help strengthen immunization systems
• Certify all regions of the world polio-free and ensure that all polio-virus stocks are safely contained
• Ensure that a polio-free world is permanent and that the investment in polio eradication provides public health dividends for years to come

The Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 (the Plan) was developed to capitalize on this new opportunity to end all polio disease. It accounts for the parallel pursuit of wild poliovirus eradication and cVDPV elimination, while planning for the backbone of the polio effort to be used for delivering other health services to the world’s most vulnerable children.

Polio's last stand

Founded in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative made superb progress over its first twelve years. By 2001 it had got, as is often said, 99% of the way towards eradicating polio. The subsequent decade was very different. Progress flat-lined. Between 2002 and 2010:

• The number of endemic countries remained resolutely at four. 
• There were never fewer than nine countries infected with polio in any given year. 
• There were never fewer than 750 children paralysed by polio in a year.

History may look back upon 2012 as the beginning of the end for the polio virus: 

Down from 16 in 2011, there are now just four countries in the world infected with polio (to date, at least). 

• The number of endemic countries has finally been reduced, to three. 
• The number of cases so far is 175. 

It is very likely that there will be fewer than 325 cases of polio this year. This is half the number of 2011, and less than 0.1% of the 350,000 cases of 1988. This might no longer be the ‘last 1%’ of polio, but the last 0.1%. 

source: Independent Monitoring Board

The Challenges, the Benefits and the Action

The polio vaccine has been hugely successful. For this year there were only 170 cases reported compared to 467 last year. The vaccine is administered orally and only a few doses will protect children for life. Although the cost is rather low, it takes a tremendous effort and organisation in order to get it where it is most needed. Today, only three countries remain where the polio virus still makes victims, namely Aghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. The challenge to administer vaccines to every child are huge and the environment is hostile.

The Polio Eradication Effort strives to protect children from this crippling disease. The benefits are tenfold but on top of the list is the longterm economic impact with healthcare savings estimated between 40-50 billion US$ in the next 20 years. And yet, Rotary International's slogan of their "End Polio Now" campaign states: "We are this close" indicating that we are not near the total eradication of the polio virus. More budget and effort will be needed to one day, free this world from polio, for everyone, forever.

Tomorrow is World Polio Day. The 24th of October has been chosen to commemorate the month in which Jonas Salk was born. Jonas Salk was the leader of the team that invented the first polio vaccine in 1955.

 

A Special Day this Year

Polio eradication partners around the world will be marking the first World Polio Day since India was removed from the list of countries with active transmission of wild poliovirus. 

This development opened up a historic opportunity to complete polio eradication in the remaining endemic countries, powered by the World Health Assembly declaration of an "emergency for global public health" and implemented through national emergency programs run by the governments of Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. 

Since World Polio Day last year, the number of new cases of polio has declined (from 467 at this time last year to 171 this year). 

source: Polio Eradication Initiative

We count on the Muslim religious leaders of Pakistan!

The Global Eradication Effort has its challenges, but beyond the urgent needs there are also practical needs where politicians and religious leaders are crucial.

Within the three remaining endemic countries there is already a strong engagement of the nations' political leaders at all levels but this must include a sustained outreach to Muslim religious leaders. We must win their support in encouraging vaccination among their followers. Work in progress… 

Fundraising remains crucial!

The main thing that could threaten the polio eradication effort would be a dramatic funding shortfall (estimated at $945 million, which represents almost half the amount originally budgeted for 2012-13).

The reality of balancing the budget has led to certain countries, especially in central and western Africa, to cancel or postpone polio immunization drives.

The risks are hard to oversee and the consequences could be catastrophic. Millions of children that could get polio from individuals traveling from endemic countries. The budget gap needs to be closed so all planned immunization drives can take place and the disease needs to be contained within its current sanctuaries.

The total budget for 2012-2013 is $2,19 billion of which $1,24 billion is covered already. The affected countries contribute roughly 20% to that total amount. Rotary International together with the Bill & Melinda Gates foundation count for 15%. The G8 puts in 14% and 6% from NGO's such as UNICEF.

Alarmed by the funding shortfall and postponed or cancelled vaccination drives, the World Health Assembly voted on May 25 to declare the polio situation to be a "global emergency" that needs a quick response. The Review Board of the Global Eradication Initiative (the watchdog of the campaign) issued a report warning that cutbacks in vaccination drives are "escalating the risk of an explosive return of polio just as it is at its lowest level in history."

The report further identified 20 African countries that were infected by polio imported from Nigeria from 2006-10, 18 of which have now cancelled or trimmed vaccination campaigns because of the funding shortfall. It is also estimated that 94 million children will be affected by the cutbacks by the end of this year.

We will ensure...

Why we need to keep the polio immunization high

We are “this close” as Rotary’s EndPolioNow campaign states… A polio-free world is within reach…

The aim of the immunization drives are to prevent a reintroduction of the virus into all polio-free countries until the moment the globe is polio-free.

Only 1% of infected people develop symptoms so in a globalized world it is not hard to imagine there is still a danger that silent carriers may infect others whilst travelling around the globe.

It is that simple.

 
We cannot allow the immunization drive to slow down, or even to postpone it due to lack of budget. All effort would be lost. You can help! Join in and support the EndPolioNow campaign.

We are "this close”

We are at crossroads right now

We have a vaccine, new resolve and new tactics.

We have the chance to write an entirely new polio free chapter in human history.

If we blink now, we will loose to eradicate this ancient disease.

Help building the momentum.

Help telling the story.

 

We know...