The UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have commended
the 1.2 billion dollars funding initiative to eradicate polio disease in
Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
UNICEF
Executive Director, Anthony Lake, and WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, gave
the commendations as global health leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fund
the eradication of polio in the countries.
The major
pledges included 75 million dollars from Canada, 61.4 million dollars from the
European Commission, 55 million dollars from Japan, and 30 million dollars from
Sheikh Mohamed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Others
pledges were 30 million dollars from the Dalio Foundation, 25 million dollars
from Bloomberg Philanthropies, 15 million dollars from an anonymous donor, and
13.4 million dollars from Australia.
There were
also 11.2 million dollars from Germany, five million dollars each from EasyJet
and Italy while the Republic of Korea pledged four million dollars.
The Global
Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public-private partnership dedicated to
ending the disease, announced the pledges at the Rotary Convention in Atlanta.
Lake said
“today’s funding commitments will enable the programme to continue to improve
performance and overcome challenges to reach every child, including vaccinating
children in conflict areas.
“We are
truly on the verge of eradicating polio from the planet, but only if we work
relentlessly to reach the children we have not yet reached.
“We cannot
fail to make this last effort.
“If we do
not now make history, we will be judged harshly by history’’.
The UNICEF
chief commended efforts towards ending the disease, saying polio has been
eliminated from some of the most remote and challenging areas in the world.
“For
example, India once considered the most difficult place in the world to stop
the disease, hasn’t reported a case in more than six years.
“No fewer
than 16 million children worldwide, who would otherwise have been paralysed by
the disease, are walking today,’’ he said.
Similarly,
Chan pointed out that polio resources in countries around the world were
helping to advance other national health goals.
“The key to
ending polio will be to ensure that millions of health workers, some of whom
work in the most challenging environments in the world, are able to reach every
child, everywhere in the world,’’ Chan said.
She noted
that eradicating polio would be a perpetual gift to coming generations.
“Today’s
contributions and the continued commitment of all donors and partners will help
end this devastating disease.
“It will also
ensure that the infrastructure and assets used to fight polio lay the
foundation for better health outcomes for children everywhere for years to
come.’’
Financing of
polio eradication has been remarkably successful over the past years.
Between 1988
and 2013, donors have voluntarily contributed more than 9.5 billion dollars to
polio eradication. ’’
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