Latest Rotary Polio Update ~August

In August, the global polio eradication effort celebrated a major milestone:  three years without a case of wild polio detected in the World Health Organization African Region— a way station on the long road to global polio eradication. With Africa eligible for wild polio-free certification, the programme reflects on what it will take to ensure that Afghanistan and Pakistan, the remaining endemic countries, in the Eastern Mediterranean region, to also achieve a wild polio-free future.

Last week, Nigeria passed three years since its last case of wild polio, making it possible to start the official process to potentially certify the WHO African Region free of the wild virus. Learn more about this impressive:public:health:achievement 
and what’s needed to bring a wild polio-free Africa declaration over the finish line. [More]

If the WHO African Region is certified wild polio-free next year, then wild polio will officially be gone from five of six WHO regions. Get an inside look on the state of eradication efforts in what could be the final polio-endemic region – the Eastern Mediterranean – and why we must revitalize commitment to vaccinating every child against polio in the wild virus’ last reservoir. [More]

In Pakistan, the polio programme relies on dedicated religious leaders to strengthen trust in the polio vaccine. Learn more about Asma, a Religious:Support:Person:who:channels her knowledge as a religious figure into overcoming vaccine refusals when others cannot. [More]