World health leaders gathered at the Rotary
Convention in Atlanta to reaffirm their commitment to eradicating polio and
pledged US$ 1.2 billion to finance efforts to end the disease, reports
NaijaAgroNet.
Thirty years ago, NaijaAgroNet recalls, polio paralyzed more than 350,000 children each year in more than 125
countries around the world. But thanks to the extraordinary efforts of
governments, health workers, donors and the partners of the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public-private partnership dedicated to ending
the disease, the highly contagious virus has now been eliminated in all but
three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan. There have been only five
cases to date in 2017.
However, children
remain at risk everywhere until polio is completely stopped. To end the disease
for good, government representatives and partners came together to renew their
commitment to supporting crucial activities such as vaccination and disease
monitoring, which will protect more than 450 million children from polio each
year.
“Thanks to the
incredible efforts of Rotarians, governments, health workers, partners and
donors – including those who have gathered at the Rotary Convention in
Atlanta – we are closer than ever to making history,” said Chris Elias, Global
Development President, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Chair of the
GPEI Polio Oversight Board. “These new commitments will help ensure that we
will finish the job.”
In a time of many
global challenges and priorities, governments and partners have stepped forward
to demonstrate their collective resolve to seeing the second human disease ever
eradicated. Major pledges include: US$ 75 million from Canada, US$
61.4 million from the European Commission, US$ 55 million from Japan,
US$ 30 million from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, US$ 30 million from the Dalio
Foundation, US$ 25 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, US$
15 million from an anonymous donor, US$ 13.4 million from Australia,
US$ 11.2 million from Germany, US$ 5 million from easyJet,
US$ 5 million from Italy and US$ 4 million from the Republic
of Korea.
Bill Gates, co-chair
of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and John Germ, president of Rotary
International, also announced an extension of their partnership in front of
more than 20,000 Rotarians. Up to US$ 150 million in funds raised by Rotary
members over the next three years will be matched 2:1 by the Gates Foundation,
resulting in up to US$ 450 million in the next three years for the GPEI. The
Gates Foundation pledged a total of US$ 450 million, including this matching
agreement.
“The
global eradication of polio has been Rotary’s top priority since 1985. Rotary members have been the driving force
behind the fight to end polio since its inception,” said John Germ, President
of Rotary International. “Their continued commitment to raising funds for
eradication – coupled with today’s match by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation – makes that impact even greater.”
Today’s funding helps
address a US$1.5 billion funding need that will help ensure that the virus is
eliminated from these remaining countries and prevented from regaining a
foothold anywhere else in the world.
“Constant innovation has been key to improving vaccination
coverage and reaching more children with the polio vaccine,” said Dr. Anne
Schuchat, Acting Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. “The unrelenting commitment and support of these global leaders
will help us do just that—and ultimately end this disease for everyone and
forever. CDC remains deeply committed to polio eradication and has contributed
US$ 2.28 billion since the beginning of the initiative."
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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