Government of Canada Polio Announcement

May 16, 2016 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, today announced a contribution of $19.9 million toward the eradication of polio in Nigeria.

Implemented by the World Health Organization, the Sustaining Polio Eradication Through Strengthened Routine Immunization project will help immunize approximately 6.6 million girls and 6.9 million boys against polio in 11 high-risk Nigerian states. It will also train approximately 154,000 vaccinators and help protect up to 250,000 children from vaccine-preventable diseases.

In September 2015 the World Health Organization made the historic announcement that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria and that there have been no cases reported since July 2014. Immunization activities are essential to ensure against the re-emergence of the virus.

Minister Bibeau made the announcement on the margins of the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. The conference presents a unique opportunity to discuss and engage in dialogue on matters related to women and girls, with a specific focus on health.