UNICEF and its partners can eradicate polio.
Since the inception of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, the number of annual polio cases has dropped dramatically — from 350,000 to 1,606 cases in 2009. That's nearly a 100% reduction.
Much work remains to ensure that this progress is permanent. Polio is a crippling and sometimes fatal illness that strikes children, particularly those under the age of 5. There is no cure, but there is a safe and effective vaccine. Childhood immunization is the key to eradication.
Polio is still active:
- in 4 endemic countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan;
- and in 15 other re-infected countries.
- In Central Africa, an unusually deadly strain reemerged in the Republic of Congo and spread to its neighbors.
- In war-torn Ivory Coast UNICEF is readying an emergency polio campaign in response to a fresh outbreak caused by disruptions in vaccination rounds.
- Last year an outbreak in previously polio-free Tajikistan accounted for over 62% of new polio cases.
But everywhere polio remains a threat, UNICEF and its partners offer hope: the Tajikistan outbreak was met with a massive cross-border response with almost 10.3 million doses of oral polio vaccine procured and distributed by UNICEF; in Africa, the ongoing campaign spans 15 countries to reach 72 million children.
In 2010, UNICEF helped vaccinate 1 billion children against polio.
Grant from Google to help close funding gap
A generous grant from Google will help sustain UNICEF's polio eradication program in 2011. The $4 million gift will be critical to UNICEF's efforts to ensure security in the vaccine supply and to stamp out the last vestiges of polio. These resources will empower UNICEF staff to reach the children who are in greatest need and the hardest to reach.
The U.S Fund for UNICEF seeks to leverage Google's gift to challenge UNICEF's friends and supporters to join us in this final push to rid the world of polio.
Will you help us achieve a day when ZERO children suffer from polio? Donate today to support UNICEF's efforts to eradicate polio.
Recent news on UNICEF's fight against polio
January 26, 2012
India achieves major milestone in eradicating polio
Once recognized as the epicenter of the polio epidemic, India is on the verge of creating history by stopping the transmission of polio. The UNICEF-supported campaign to stop polio has administered close to 900 million doses of the oral polio vaccine in 2011 alone and has not reported any cases of polio in the last 12 months. The World Health Organization is poised to take India off the list of countries where polio remains endemic. India’s progress proves that it is possible to break the barriers to eradication.
May 24, 2011
UNICEF concerned about children in southwest Ivory Coast
Weeks of clashes near the town of Soubré in the southwestern province of Bas-Sassandra, Ivory Coast have triggered displacements and prevented UN aid agencies from accessing affected populations to deliver lifesaving assistance. UNICEF is particularly concerned about the effects on children and women. The volatile security situation has already halted a rapid response polio immunization campaign planned in coordination with the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization.
May 15, 2011
Polio immunization campaign to reach millions in Democratic Republic of the Congo
A polio immunization campaign aims to vaccinate 23 million children under the age of five across the DR Congo. The country has stepped up polio immunization efforts after 100 cases of the wild polio virus were registered last year. The rise in cases is a result of transmission from neighboring countries. To combat the recent polio upsurge in the region, similar immunization campaigns were also organized in Angola and Congo Brazza.
