UN: World Coming Close To Wiping Out Polio - Total Eradication Is Within Sight

New York, N.Y. (AHN) - "Polio will be history, like smallpox," said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, believing total eradication is within sight.

And Ban credits the efforts of Chicago-based Rotary International and other United Nations partners in this effort.

"Rotary International has led a $600 million worldwide campaign to wipe out polio. Sometime this year, their work will be done," Ban said in an address to the Economic Club of Chicago.

In January, Ban also gave similar praises to Rotary International for its efforts in ridding polio.

"For 22 years, you and your fellow Rotarians have dedicated your time and efforts to eradicating polio. You have done so in the face of extraordinary challenges. You have overcome financial shortfalls, conflict and lack of security. You have conquered cultural barriers and lack of political will," Ban said on Jan. 15.

However, in the same message in January, Ban also said the world's success in wiping out polio depends on four countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

In Afghanistan and Pakistan, the quality of polio immunization campaigns vary, covering anywhere between 75 percent to 95 percent. Also, the frequent movement of Afghanistan's population and hampered access to all populations in the southern region contributes to continuing spread of polio.

In India, although it conducts high-quality immunization campaigns reaching 90 percent of the population, two areas - Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states - both with dense populations lack sanitation. High levels of malnutrition also allow polio to easily exist among the other diseases.

In Nigeria, the immunization campaigns is almost nonexistent in the northern parts of the country. The World Health Organization believes more than 50 percent of children in some key-infected areas have never been immunized.

Ban also said a further $440 million is needed over the next two years for victory, according to an assessment in October by the independent Advisory Committee on Polio Eradication, which manages the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Ban said in today's release the global polio partnership is headed by the UN World Health Organization, Rotary International, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United Nations Children's Fund.

During the past 20 years, the number of cases has fallen by almost 99 percent, according to Ban. In 2007, more than 400 million children were immunized against the disease, which remains only in northern India, northern Nigeria and the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to Polio Education, its Web site states that In the last 15 years, worldwide cases of polio have dropped from 350,000 in 1988 when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative began to 1,940 in 2005.

"This eradication initiative, whose aim is to eliminate all cases due to the wild virus throughout the world, now has tools in place to rapidly stop polio transmission everywhere except Nigeria, where, as of June, 2006, another 12 months will be required," said Polio Education on its Web site.

In 2006, Nigeria recorded 792 cases of polio, followed by: Yemen with 478; Indonesia with 303, and Somalia with 184.

And 2005 had more reported polio cases than 2004. Yemen had 478 cases in 2005, and none in 2004. Indonesia had 303 cases in 2005, and as Yemen reported no cases in 2004.

Sudan and India reported 4 times fewer cases in 2005 compared with 2004, and India reported a drop of one half in 2005 compared with 2004.