Polio: A defining moment for eradication
About
Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that was once the leading cause of paralysis among children worldwide, paralyzing around 1,000 children daily.
Today, it stands on the brink of eradication – the result of a safe and effective vaccine and remarkable global commitment. With transmission rates near historic lows and global health funding under threat, the world faces a defining moment in polio eradication: either finish the job now or face recurring outbreaks and continued preventable suffering.
With sustained leadership at global and national levels – ensuring quality door-to-door immunization campaigns, robust financing, community engagement and health system integration – polio eradication is within reach. Global commitments must be upheld, and governments, led by Heads of State and in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Finance, must act in partnership with international and local stakeholders.
UNICEF’s global advocacy brief outlines where the world stands on polio eradication and the policy recommendations to eradicate this deadly and debilitating disease, once and for all.
