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On 18 June, a broad range of stakeholders formally launched the new Strategic Plan 2010-2012 for eradicating wild poliovirus, a goal which is already 99% achieved but is seeing a renewed push to reach the final one per cent.
The Ministers of Health of Nigeria, Angola and Senegal, among a number of other senior health ministry officials, existing and potential funders, vaccine manufacturers and key partner organizations spoke at the event ? co-hosted by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan and the new UNICEF Executive Director Tony Lake ? to discuss the implementation, monitoring, economics and financing of the new plan.
With historic progress in northern Nigeria and northern India, stakeholders at the launch stated loud and clear that the polio eradication effort would not - could not - stumble at this final inch because of a lack of funds.
Of a US$ 2.6 billion budget for the three years, US$ 1.3 is yet to be filled. Of note, the number of donors to the GPEI has dropped from 47 in 2004-05 to just 22 so far for 2010-11.
Stakeholders fully endorsed the range of approaches and new tools in the Plan and echoed the World Health Assembly in calling on the GPEI to fully implement the new strategies with immediate effect.
Failure to meet the financial requirements of eradication has human consequences, in terms of children paralyzed for life by a disease which is entirely vaccine-preventable, as well as the economic consequences of ongoing supplementary immunization in perpetuity in order to maintain the current number of cases. But most compelling are the ethical consquences: failing to protect future generations when the tools are available to do so.
The Ministers of Health of Nigeria, Angola and Senegal, among a number of other senior health ministry officials, existing and potential funders, vaccine manufacturers and key partner organizations spoke at the event ? co-hosted by WHO Director-General Margaret Chan and the new UNICEF Executive Director Tony Lake ? to discuss the implementation, monitoring, economics and financing of the new plan.
With historic progress in northern Nigeria and northern India, stakeholders at the launch stated loud and clear that the polio eradication effort would not - could not - stumble at this final inch because of a lack of funds.
Of a US$ 2.6 billion budget for the three years, US$ 1.3 is yet to be filled. Of note, the number of donors to the GPEI has dropped from 47 in 2004-05 to just 22 so far for 2010-11.
Stakeholders fully endorsed the range of approaches and new tools in the Plan and echoed the World Health Assembly in calling on the GPEI to fully implement the new strategies with immediate effect.
Failure to meet the financial requirements of eradication has human consequences, in terms of children paralyzed for life by a disease which is entirely vaccine-preventable, as well as the economic consequences of ongoing supplementary immunization in perpetuity in order to maintain the current number of cases. But most compelling are the ethical consquences: failing to protect future generations when the tools are available to do so.
