Europe Can Lead Way To Polio Eradication

EurActiv: The international legacy of European science, aid, and polio eradication
David L. Heymann, head and senior fellow of the Chatham House Centre on Global Health Security

“…We cannot afford to lose sight of our ultimate goal: [polio] eradication. While some believe the economic cost of eradication is too high, the cost of not staying the course is even higher. It’s only by getting to zero cases anywhere in the world that children everywhere will be protected. And now that we are a stone’s throw away from ending polio for good, it’s more important than ever for … international commitment to science, foreign aid, and polio eradication. … Europe has led the world in scientific innovation, overseas aid, and polio eradication, and at the Atlanta Rotary Convention on 12 June, 40,000 Rotarians and global health leaders will unite to ensure the polio effort is effectively funded so it can reach every last child with the polio vaccine. In this new era of sustainable development, it’s critical that the European Union continues to play a leadership role in one of the most sustainable global public goods imaginable: the eradication of the second human disease in history” (6/7).

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