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TCG
Members,
Partners,
Colleagues,
I am very pleased to welcome you this morning to
this critically important meeting.
To the members of the TCG - I thank you for joining
us once again – to review the programme, and to offer your guidance
for these crucial months ahead.
Over the last 24 months, since the World Health
Assembly called for acceleration of the programme, progress in polio
eradication has been tremendous. You will hear many impressive figures
in the course of today’s update. Allow me to highlight some of the
key achievements.
In 2000, we celebrated the polio-free certification
of the Western Pacific Region – which includes 37 countries and
territories – amongst them China, the most populous nation on earth.
This success once again demonstrates the soundness of the strategies
you have helped define.
At the outset of the programme, polio was still
paralyzing about 350,000 children every year. So far, we have only
2849 reported cases for 2000, and we expect eventually a total of at
most 3500 cases for that year. That is a 99 per cent decline.
That means we are 99 per cent closer to a
polio-free world. But in many ways the final one per cent will be as
challenging as the first 99 per cent.
Each of the 20 remaining polio-endemic countries
has made significant progress, but several, for many reasons, are
still struggling to implement the quality of activities needed. We
know, however, that given high quality immunization and surveillance,
polio can be stopped very quickly in any country.
Some of the countries with ongoing transmission –
Afghanistan, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in
particular – must eradicate polio in the face of ongoing civil
conflict.
But in Somalia, a country long-affected by a
fractious civil war, we have shown that certification-standard
surveillance can be achieved.
Other countries, such as Nigeria and Pakistan –
the largest remaining poliovirus reservoirs – have large, diverse
and dense populations.
But similar challenges prevail in India, which once
accounted for most of the global burden of polio. By accelerating
polio eradication activities, the caseload is down 75 per cent. So far
this year, only 9 cases have been found.
The strategies for stopping transmission are clear.
Since we last met a year ago, we have strengthened the management of
WHO’s polio programme. The biggest threat to polio eradication now
is the 400 million dollar funding gap. Without the money, we can’t
finish the job.
We need sustained political commitment, too –
with every political leader focussed on the goal to keep polio
eradication high on the political agenda. We know this makes the
difference. The leaders of 17 Western and Central African
countries committed to synchronizing NIDs last fall. The result:
76 million children immunized, and a major reduction in
poliovirus transmission in that epidemiological block.
We need clear and effective strategies to evaluate
the ending of polio transmission as quickly as possible. As part of
this we will need to consider how best to ensure access to adequate
quantities of polio vaccine at a reasonable price.
Events of the past year provide striking examples
of the need to secure the tremendous gains we have made, while
planning for the polio end-game. These have heavily influenced the
agenda before you.
One such event occurred in Cape Verde, which had
been polio-free for over a decade. Surveillance was non-existant. As a
result, a virus imported from Angola caused an outbreak on four
islands before it was stopped. The tragic outcome: 44 people
paralyzed, and 17 dead. This underscores the need to achieve and
sustain certification-standard surveillance in all countries,
supported by a fully-accredited laboratory network. These issues are
priorities for tomorrow’s discussion.
On the other side of the Atlantic, low routine
immunization in Hispaniola, which includes the Dominican Republic and
Haiti, allowed an OPV vaccine strain that reverted to a virulent type
causing an outbreak. The toll: 17 children paralyzed.
We also need to move quickly in defining the best
strategy for stopping immunization with oral polio vaccine as
efficiently, safely and cost-effectively as possible. Your
deliberations on these issues over the coming days are extremely
important, helping us to establish a strategy for submission to the
World Health Assembly.
TCG members, partners, colleagues,
Everyone here today deserves our gratitude for
their contribution to polio eradication.
First and foremost, I would like to thank the
people of the endemic and recently endemic countries, represented here
by country managers. Without you, this progress would not be possible.
In particular, to Rotary International – the
people with the first vision of a polio-free world and the continued
unwavering determination to see it through.
Our partners at CDC have matched Rotary’s
commitment – through outstanding technical support at the country
level, laboratory work globally and in funding the purchase of OPV.
I would also like to thank the members of the
Global Certification Commission. You have the serious task of
verifying when the world can be certified polio-free. We all look
forward to the day when you are able to make that decision.
To our donors – thank you for your commitment. So
far, polio funds have trained hundreds of public health professionals,
have bolstered cold chain and communications infrastructure, and
spawned an international demand for immunization. WHO is working
closely with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization to
ensure polio eradication funds spent today will benefit health systems
well into the future.
I would like to make a special note of thanks to
the regional office and field staff of WHO and UNICEF. You have worked
to make polio eradication a reality on the ground. At times, your work
goes unrecognized. On behalf of Carol Bellamy and myself, thank you
for your tireless commitment.
Next week I will address the World Health Assembly
where I will report on the tremendous progress made to meet the
historical goal of polio eradication. The outcomes of your
deliberations here will be central to my comments. I know I can speak
with confidence on our expected success in delivering a polio-free
world.
I challenge each of you to maintain the high
quality of your work – and to push yourselves even harder. When we
meet next year, let us ensure we can focus on the strategies for
eradicating polio in just a handful of countries, so that we are on
track for global polio-free certification as soon as humanly possible.
Thank you. |
