Press
Centre
Joint Press Release
West Africa launches final assault on polio
60 million African Children to be Vaccinated
Aventis Pasteur donates 30 million doses of oral polio
vaccine
New York/Geneva, 12 November 2002 -- With West African
countries in the midst of vaccinating millions of children
against polio, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer,
Aventis Pasteur, has donated 30 million doses of oral
polio vaccine to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
This week, 16 West African countries have united to vaccinate
all children under five within their borders.* Immunization
campaigns over the past two years have driven the number
of polio-endemic countries in Africa to an all-time low.
In 1999, 20 African countries were polio-endemic, but
to date this year, only three are considered endemic.**
This success is due to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative,
a broad partnership forged to deliver polio vaccine to
every child under five. The Aventis Pasteur donation is
already making a difference, with almost three of the
30 million of the doses bound for the polio immunization
campaign in Liberia.
"We are further strengthening the solidarity which
has brought us to the cusp of a polio-free world, and
will indeed push us to full success," said Dr Gro
Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of the World Health
Organization, at a recent signing ceremony at the United
Nations in New York.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is spearheaded
by the World Health Organization, Rotary International,
the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and
UNICEF. Aventis Pasteur - the longest standing corporate
partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative - has
donated 120 million vaccine doses since 1997 and targeted
its donations to African countries affected by conflict,
including Sierra Leone and the Sudan, which now appear
to be polio-free.
"We are so close to beating this crippling disease
in Africa and worldwide," said Carol Bellamy,
Executive Director of UNICEF, "but we are not
there yet. We have to stay focused and committed and encourage
support from all corners - from endemic countries, donor
countries and the health industry - so all children can
be immunized. This donation will help these countries
finish the job and ensure no more African children are
paralysed by this easily preventable disease."
David J. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer
of Aventis Pasteur, the largest company in the world devoted
entirely to vaccines, signed a banner pledging its commitment
to end polio. "The Initiative has already made tremendous
progress and we admire the remarkable work done by WHO,
Rotary International, CDC, UNICEF and millions of volunteers
around the world," Williams said. "This donation
is just one example of Aventis Pasteur's commitment. We
are very proud of our involvement with the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative."
* * *
About the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
Since its launch in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication
Initiative has reduced poliovirus transmission from 125
countries and an estimated 350 000 cases, to just ten
countries at the beginning of 2002. Of these just three
- India, Nigeria and Pakistan - have had continued high-intensity
transmission, while the remaining seven - Afghanistan,
Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Niger, Somalia and Sudan - each
have fewer than eight cases to date in 2002.
The final challenge to stopping transmission of wild
poliovirus in Africa is to ensure all children are reached
with polio vaccine - particularly those in the conflict
areas around the city of Mogadishu in Somalia; those in
eastern Angola, and all children under five in Nigeria.
With the support of governments and millions of volunteers,
the Initiative still requires US$ 275 million to fund
polio eradication activities through 2005 and much of
this is required for African countries.
To help meet the current funding challenge, Rotary members
worldwide have embarked on a major campaign to raise US$
80 million by the year 2003. To date, Rotary has contributed
US$ 182 million to eradicate polio throughout the African
continent and committed US$ 510 million worldwide. In
addition to raising funds, Rotary members donate their
time and personal resources during National Immunization
Days. Throughout the year, Rotary members from countries
around the world join Rotary members in polio endemic
countries to help immunise children against polio.
Other partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
coalition include: the governments of countries affected
by poliomyelitis; private foundations (e.g. United Nations
Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation); development
banks (e.g. World Bank); donor governments (e.g. Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, United
Kingdom and United States of America); the European Commission;
humanitarian organizations (e.g. the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent movement) and corporate partners
(e.g. Aventis Pasteur, De Beers and Wyeth). Volunteers
in developing countries also play a key role: ten million
have participated in mass immunization campaigns.
***
For further information, please contact:
Christine McNab,
WHO, Geneva
+(41 22) 791 4688, mobile: +41 79 254 6815
mcnabc@who.int
Elizabeth Kramer,
UNICEF, +(1 212) 326 7566 ekramer@unicef.org
Koren
Wolman-Tardy, Aventis Pasteur, Lyon, France
+( 33 4) 37 37 72 73
Koren.Wolman-Tardy@aventis.com
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