TIME: Erna Solberg: U.N. Must Work to Eradicate Polio for Good
Erna Solberg, prime minister of Norway and co-chair of the U.N. Secretary General’s Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group

“…The eradication of polio has the potential to yield substantial financial benefits. Moreover, the infrastructure put in place to ensure the end of polio will also help to reduce or eliminate incidences of other preventable diseases. I was pleased to see that in May this year, the G7 leaders stressed the major contribution made by polio-related assets, resources, and infrastructure to improving health systems and universal health coverage. Failure to eradicate polio could, however, result in a widespread global resurgence of the disease. I call on world leaders to commit to closing the … funding gap so that we can ensure that our world is polio-free once and for all. … With global certification expected in the next few years, polio eradication could be one of the early successes of the 2030 Agenda. I am pleased to cooperate with the Global Citizen movement in advocating action to achieve the [Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)]. I encourage other leaders to join me so that, together, we can take a giant step forward for global health” (9/19).