Big names pledge billions to eradicate Polio

Sri Lankan K.R. Ravindran, the incoming Chair man of Rotary Foundation, pledged $150m on behalf of Rotary to eradicate Polio at a conclave jointly hosted by the Crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Bill Gates on November 19, at Abu Dhabi.

The global community affirmed their commitment to eradicate Polio and pledged US$ 2.6 billion as part of the first phase of the funding needed to implement the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Polio Endgame Strategy.

Major pledges came from the Gates Foundation-$1 B; United Kingdom-$ 514m ; Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi- 160m; the United States-$ 215m; Pakistan$160m; Germany-$104m.

In the 1980s, Polio cases were in the hundreds of thousands and 125 countries were grappling with the tragic impact of paralytic polio, especially on the lives of children.

In 1985, Rotary International was the first to commit to see every child in t he wo rld vaccinated against polio and to ushering in a poliofree era.

Spearheaded by Rotary the Global Polio Eradication Initiat ive consisting of Rotary International, the World Health Organisation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and GAVI – The Vaccine Alliance – are aligned in a singular mission to wipe out poliovirus from the world.

Th e commitments

Major pledges came from the Gates Foundation-$1 B; United Kingdom$514m ; Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi160m; the United States-$215m; Pakistan- $160m; Germany-$104m.

announced came at a critical time for the polio eradication effort. Barriers to reaching every child – including inconsistent campaign q u a l i t y, i n s e c u r i t y, c o n fl i c t , massive mobile populations, and, in some instances, parental refusal to the vaccine – have led to the ongoing transmission of the wild poliovirus in Pakistan and Afghanistan – the only two countries where the wild Polio virus is still endemic.

Cabinet Ministers from both Afghanistan and Pakistan present at the event and in meetings have noted the concerns of the world and promised strong action.