World Immunization Week, Highlights and Progress
Polio eradication efforts closer than ever to likely triumph – making it more important than ever to finish the job, says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director General.
Vaccines have been one of the biggest success stories of modern medicine.
Thanks to the power of polio vaccines, over 16 million people are walking today who would otherwise have been paralysed by the virus.
Many of the successes that we celebrate this World Immunization Week were born from the enthusiasm at the end of smallpox in 1970, the only human disease ever to have been eradicated to date. This was living proof of the power of vaccines to permanently improve the world. This week, Dr Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, stated that the polio eradication programme is closer than ever to changing the world in the same way as smallpox, boosting world confidence in the power of vaccines to build a better world. But being on the brink of triumph is not enough; much more needs to be done to certify the world polio-free and ensure all future generations are free from the threat of polio thanks to the power of vaccines.
Ten years of progress and challenges
In Dr Margaret Chan’s report on the evolution of public health over the decade she has served as the WHO Director General, she reflects on the highlights and challenges of the past 10 years of polio eradication efforts. In 2007, there were four polio endemic countries, including India, which was causing some to question whether eradication was even achievable. Polio outbreaks were paralysing children in nine countries, and there was a surge in cases.
Polio this week as of 25 April 2017