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The Global Polio Eradication Initiative
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is a public-private partnership whose goal is to eradicate polio worldwide. The GPEI was launched in 1988 by national governments, the World Health Organization, Rotary International, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF. At that time, polio was endemic in more than 125 countries on five continents, paralyzing more than 1,000 children every day. Since then, the number of cases has fallen by more than 99 percent. As of October 2011, there were 444 cases reported globally, down from 717 reported in October 2010. Only four countries remain polio-endemic: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
The GPEI has four major objectives:
• Interrupting wild poliovirus transmission in Africa;
• Interrupting wild poliovirus transmission in Asia;
• Enhancing global poliovirus surveillance and outbreak response; and
• Strengthening immunization systems.
The Initiative also supports the delivery of vital routine health interventions including immunizations, vitamin A and zinc supplements, and the distribution of antimalarial bed nets. Canada's contribution to the initiative will support this work and strengthen surveillance systems in countries where polio is endemic.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disease that mainly affects children under the age of five. It can cause irreversible paralysis and sometimes leads to death. Affected children often become a burden to their families and the health system and are often confined to a life of poverty.
Canada has made polio eradication a signature project in Afghanistan, where progress continues to be made, with almost 85 percent of the country now deemed polio-free. Over 7 million children across Afghanistan continue to be vaccinated against polio.
The $15 million in support announced on October 29 is in addition to $348 million that Canada has already disbursed toward the Global Polio Eradication Initiative since 2000. Canada is now the GPEI’s eighth largest donor.
