Top 5 Reasons to Eradicate Polio

1 THE HUMAN COST:  If we choose to control polio rather than eradicate it, polio could rebound to 10 million cases in the next 40 years.

2.  IT’S ACHIEVABLE:  We have the tools to end polio and the means to reach all children.  The new, bivalent vaccine successfully targets the two remaining strains of polio in one dose.

3.  IT’S A GOOD INVESTMENT:  An independent study published in the medical journal Vaccine estimates the US$9 billion global investment in a polio-free world will net an economic benefit of $40 to 50 billion over the next 20 years.

4.  IT STRENGTHENS THE SYSTEM:  Our polio eradication efforts have established an active disease surveillance network in all countries that is being used for other health interventions such as measles vaccinations, de-worming tablets, and mosquito bed nets.

5.  IT SETS THE STAGE:  The ability to reach all children with the polio vaccine is proof of the concept that we can succeed on our next major global health initiative.