Polio Eradication

Polio is an insidious, incurable disease that kills and cripples children. At the outset of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, polio was endemic in more than 125 countries on five continents, and paralyzed approximately 1,000 children every day. The world has made remarkable progress toward polio eradication, but challenges remain. The U.S. Government has contributed nearly 28 percent of the total $5 billion donated to GPEI thus far, including $132 million in 2006. The U.S. Government funds help to improve health systems: purchase vaccine; detect and investigate the suspected cases of polio; map communities and plan vaccination campaigns; train and supervise surveillance officers, vaccinators, and laboratory personnel; provide and maintain equipment to transport and store vaccine; and develop and maintain critical accredited laboratories.

--10/10/06  Finishing the Global Fight Against Polio; Paula Dobriansky, Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs; Remarks to the Distinguished Women in International Affairs Lecture Series, George Washington University; Washington, DC
--10/06/06  Global Polio Eradication Within Our Reach: The U.S. Role