Polio Eradication Efforts Threatened By Funding Shortfall, Vaccination…

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Marking the 10th anniversary since Europe was declared polio-free, the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on Wednesday released a report (.pdf) saying there is “a unique window of opportunity to stamp out polio for good,” with the number of reported cases at historical lows, but a funding shortfall of about $1 million is threatening eradication progress, Reuters reports. Polio “remains endemic in three countries — Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria — after India in January became the latest country to become polio-free,” the news agency notes. IMB Chair Liam Donaldson “said the global financial crisis coupled with growing needs for polio funding had led to a shortfall of $945 million out of a total 2012-13 eradication program budget of $2 billion” and that 33 countries would have to cancel their vaccination programs, leaving 94 million children unprotected, according to Reuters (Kelland, 6/20).

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Polio Eradication Efforts Threatened By Funding Shortfall, Vaccination…

Posted by Kaiser GH Update on Jun 21 2012. Filed under Aid, Kaiser's Global Health Update. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry