World Polio Day
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Contact:
Neal Johnson
24 Oct 2018 |
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I am from a generation who has witnessed the devastating effects of polio. When I discovered how close we were to eradicating polio, I was very motivated to be a part of this movement. It is so rare when you can accomplish something so spectacular.
From the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, more than 17.4 million people, mainly in the developing world, who would otherwise have been paralyzed, are walking because they have been immunized against polio. More than 650,000 paralytic cases of polio are now prevented every year.
If polio is not eradicated, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 children could be paralyzed by it each year. A polio-free world will be a safer world for children everywhere.
To date, 122 countries around the world have benefited from PolioPlus grants.