EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PASSES WRITTEN DECLARATION ON POLIO
EVANSTON, Ill. (11 June 2015) — Today the European Parliament announced the passage of a written declaration in support of the global effort to eradicate the crippling disease polio. The declaration, signed by 404 signatories within Parliament, underscores the critical importance of supporting efforts to eradicate polio from the few remaining pockets of the world where the virus still exists.
In the European Parliament, a written declaration – a text of no more than 200 words – relates to a matter falling within the competence of the European Union. The declaration does not represent an act of Parliament, but rather reflects the support of its authors and signatories. A declaration receiving the requisite number of signatories, as the polio declaration did, is published in Parliament's minutes and also sent to the European Commission.
Rotary, which launched the global effort to eradicate polio in 1985, has thousands of members throughout the European Union. Since the written declaration's entry into the official register in early March, Rotary members have contacted their respective Members of Parliament to communicate the importance of supporting polio eradication.
The poliovirus still flourishes in just a few corners of the three remaining polio-endemic countries: Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Recent progress shows these geographic pockets containing the virus are getting smaller and smaller. Nigeria, for example, sits poised to mark one-year without a single case of polio within its borders on 24 July, 2015. Pakistan, which accounted for 90% of the world's polio cases in 2014, has shown a 70% reduction in cases over this same time last year.
However, experts caution we cannot become complacent in the face of such progress. As stated by the written declaration, global polio eradication still face challenges, particularly in delivering the vaccine to hard-to-reach and underserved children. Ongoing support and funding is needed from the European Union over the next several years to ensure a polio-free world.
The authors of the declaration included the following ten Members of Parliament: Linda McAvan, Elmar Brok, Davor Ivo Stier, Enrique Guerrero Salom, Mairead McGuinness, Michael Gahler, Maria Heubuch, Louis Michel, Nirj Deva and Charles Goerens.
Rotary launched its polio immunization program PolioPlus in 1985 and in 1988 became a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative with the WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Rotary's partners in the GPEI supported efforts to have the written declaration passed, emphasizing to policymakers the broad impacts polio eradication will have, including $US50 billion in direct and indirect healthcare savings by 2035, and healthcare infrastructure which is already being used to address other health issues, such as Ebola.
Rotary's roles within the GPEI are fundraising, advocacy, and social mobilization of volunteers. To date, Rotary has contributed more than $1.4 billion and countless volunteer hours to fight polio. Through 2018, every new dollar Rotary commits to polio eradication will be matched two-to-one by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation up to $35 million a year.
About Rotary
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. In 1988, Rotary was joined by the WHO, UNICEF and the CDC to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Visit rotary.org and endpolio.org for more about Rotary and its efforts to eradicate polio. Video and still images will be available on the Rotary Media Center.
Rotary brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world's most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work improves lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world. In 1988, Rotary was joined by the WHO, UNICEF and the CDC to launch the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Visit rotary.org and endpolio.org for more about Rotary and its efforts to eradicate polio. Video and still images will be available on the Rotary Media Center.