Helping eradicate polio from the world

Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 35 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever. Your support will help eradicate this paralysing disease.

 

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Since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979, Rotary members have contributed more than US$2.1 billion and countless volunteer hours to protect nearly 3 billion children in 122 countries from this paralyzing disease. Rotary’s advocacy efforts have played a role in decisions by governments to contribute more than US$10 billion to the effort.

 

While polio has been 99.9% eradicated, it is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan – Africa has recently been declared polio-free. All countries remain at risk of polio until the disease has been completely eradicated from the world.

To achieve eradication, enough people in a community need to be immunized against polio for virus to be deprived of susceptible hosts and die out. High levels of vaccination in Afghanistan and Pakistan must be maintained to stop transmission and prevent outbreaks occurring.

Until then, the best way for countries to minimise the risk and consequences of polio infection is to maintain strong population immunity levels through high vaccination coverage and strong disease surveillance in order to rapidly detect and respond to polio.

The cost of allowing polio to regain a foothold is infection of 200,000 children aged 5 years and younger – annually – within 10 years and US$50 billion over 20 years.


Poliovirus

Polio can interact in its host in two ways:

  • Infection not including the central nervous system, which causes a minor illness with mild symptoms

  • Infection including the central nervous system, which may cause paralysis

Poliovirus enters through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Infected individuals shed poliovirus into the environment for several weeks, where it can spread rapidly through a community, especially in areas of poor sanitation.

 

Vaccines

We are so close to ridding humanity of this disease, and I am personally committed to ensuring that we do
— Dr Tedros Adhanonm Ghebreyesus, Director-General World Health Organization

The development of effective vaccines to prevent paralytic polio was one of the major medical breakthroughs of the 20th century. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative uses two types of vaccine to stop polio transmission – inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) and oral polio vaccine (OPV).

If enough people in a community are immunized against polio, the virus will be deprived of susceptible hosts and will die out. High levels of vaccination coverage must be maintained to stop transmission and prevent outbreaks occurring. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is constantly assessing the optimal use of the different types of vaccine to prevent paralytic polio and stop poliovirus transmission in different areas of the world.

 

Outbreak countries

Outbreak countries are those that have stopped indigenous wild poliovirus but are experiencing re-infection either through the importation of wild or vaccine-derived poliovirus from another country, or the emergence and circulation of vaccine-derived poliovirus.

To stop these outbreaks, it is necessary to fully implement international outbreak response guidelines.

Endemic countries, which have never stopped the transmission of indigenous wild poliovirus, can also be affected by outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.

All countries remain at risk of polio until the disease has been completely eradicated from the world. Until then, the best way for countries to minimise the risk and consequences of polio infection is to maintain strong population immunity levels through high vaccination coverage, and strong disease surveillance in order to rapidly detect and respond to polio.

 
 

At-Risk Countries

Low levels of immunity and surveillance leave countries at risk of polio returning. To ensure that every country stays free from polio, it is essential to reach every child with polio vaccines and to strengthen disease surveillance.

Several countries are classified by the International Health Regulations (IHR) as no longer infected, but remain vulnerable to re-infection.

 

What’s required

We’re 99.9% of the way to ending polio, but important work remains if we’re to ensure this paralysing disease doesn’t regain a foothold. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.

 
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