UPDATE: March 2004
05-04-04

International PolioPlus Committee
Statements on Current Facts and Figures Relative to Polio Eradication and the Role of Rotary International in the Global Effort
For the sake of clarity and consistency in all Rotary publications and information, the
International PolioPlus Committee has adopted the following set of frequently reported statements, statistics, and terms concerning the PolioPlus Program and the global polio eradication effort, and encourages all members in the global partnership for polio eradication to adopt similarly consistent statements and figures. The Committee has also requested a wide dissemination within Rotary for these statements. The Committee reviews these statements at each meeting, to ensure that they remain current and appropriate.

1. A statement on the goal of the PolioPlus program:
“The goal of the PolioPlus program is the global certification of polio eradication. By eradication, WHO, the Global Commission on Certification and Rotary mean the interruption of the transmission of the wild poliovirus.”

2. A statement on Rotary International's contribution to the polio eradication effort:
“By the time the world is certified polio-free, Rotary’s contributions to the global polio eradication effort will exceed US$600 million. In addition, millions of dollars of 'in-kind' and personal contributions have been made by and through local Rotary clubs and districts for polio eradication activities. Of even greater significance has been the huge volunteer army mobilized by Rotary International. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers at the local level are providing support at clinics or mobilizing their communities for immunization or polio eradication activities. More than one million Rotarians worldwide have contributed toward the success of the polio eradication effort to date.”

3. A statement on the number of nations benefiting from PolioPlus grants:
“To date, 122 nations around the world have benefited from PolioPlus grants for polio immunization and eradication efforts.”

4. A statement on the number of polio cases prevented annually through immunization:
“From the launch of the global initiative in 1988, to the eradication target of 2005, 5 million people, mainly in the developing world, who would otherwise have been paralyzed, will be walking because they have been immunized against polio. More than 500,000 cases of polio are now prevented each year by the efforts of governments and the partnership of the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the United
Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the overseas development agencies of donor nations.”

5. Statements on the number of children immunized against polio:
a. Since 1985, when Rotary implemented the PolioPlus program, through the end of calendar year 2002:
"As a result of the efforts of Rotary International and its Foundation and those of our partners, more than two billion children have received oral polio vaccine."
b. record level of immunizations in 2002:
“As part of the global polio eradication effort in 2002, 500 million children were vaccinated during more than 266 activities in 93 countries using two billion doses of oral polio vaccine.”

6. A statement on the percentage of the world’s children that live in polio-free countries:
“In 1988, 10% of the world’s children lived in polio-free countries; as of 1 July 2003, over 70% are living in polio-free countries.”

7. A statement on the reduction of cases of polio:
“The number of cases of polio has declined by 99% since Rotary launched the PolioPlus program.”

8. A statement on the cost of vaccine per child:
“A child can be protected against polio for as little as US$ .60 worth of vaccine.”

9. A statement on the number of polio endemic countries:
“Since Rotary began its PolioPlus Program, the number of polio endemic countries has declined from over 125 countries in 1985 to 6 countries at the end of the year 2003. The number of polio cases has declined by more than 99% since 1985.

10. A statement on the geographic restriction of wild poliovirus cases in 2003:
By late 2003, wild poliovirus transmission had been interrupted in all but six countries in the world. Three of these countries, Nigeria, India and Pakistan, accounted for 95% of cases. However, within India, Nigeria and Pakistan, polio is further geographically restricted, as 75% of all global cases in 2003 were linked to only 5 of the 76 states/provinces of these three countries.

11. A statement on the number of countries that are polio-free and the number of people who live in countries, territories, and areas that have been certified polio-free by independent commissions:
“Two hundred and ten (210) countries, territories and areas are now polio-free, and 134 of these have been certified polio-free by independent commissions. In June 2002, the
WHO European Region was certified polio-free, joining the WHO Regions of the Americas and the Western Pacific. More than three billion people, half the world’s population lives in the 134 countries, territories and areas that are now certified polio free.”

12. Statements on polio in India and Nigeria:
a. In India, by the last quarter of 2003, polio was at the lowest level of transmission ever. With continued attention to reaching very young children and underserved populations, particularly in the northern states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, transmission could be interrupted in 2004. Of particular importance is western Uttar Pradesh, the only area where transmission has never been interrupted.

b. The greatest risk to the global polio eradication initiative is Nigeria due to poor quality polio campaigns and the suspension of key immunization activities in Kano state in 2003. Of particular concern by late 2003 were data demonstrating that less than 50% of children in some northern states, particularly Kano, did not receive an adequate number of OPV doses. The subsequent polio outbreak led to the spread of polio to several states in Nigeria and seven neighbouring countries that had previously been polio-free.

13. A statement on the localization of polio transmission:
By late 2003, wild poliovirus transmission had been interrupted in all but six countries in the world. Three of these countries, Nigeria, India and Pakistan, accounted for 95% of cases.

14. A statement on the total donor needs to eradicate polio:
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative launched in January 2004, a Global Polio
Eradication Initiative Strategic Plan 2004-2008. To carry out this Strategic Plan,
WHO, UNICEF and Ministries of Health estimate that US$765 million is required for the interruption of transmission of poliovirus worldwide during the period 2004-2005. Of this US$765 million, US$635 million already has been pledged or is expected from existing donors. Additional financial support will be sought from governments and other donors. Funding will be required for global certification, mainstreaming of the polio eradication infrastructure and developing products for OPV cessation, during the period 2006-2008.
The external financial resource requirements have been calculated by WHO and UNICEF after careful analysis of the costs of implementing, on a timely basis, the Strategic Plan.

15. A statement on the contribution of Rotary’s advocacy efforts:
Public Advocacy Efforts:
“In 1995, Rotary International launched a task force to advocate the cause of polio eradication to donor governments. This task force, later to be part of the Polio Advocacy Group, with additional partners, has resulted to date in more than US$1.5 billion in polio-specific grants from the public sector. These advocacy efforts are ongoing and will be continued as necessary.”

16. Definitions of the terms Partners, Spearheading Partners, Coalitions and Donors are outlined below:
“When used as generic terms to refer to organizations who are also sharing in work and funds to eradicate polio, either partners or partnerships is preferred. Generally, coalition should be used to describe a specific group. Donor is a term to describe an entity which is providing funds to eradicate polio and should be limited to those whose primary or exclusive role is in providing funds. “Donor” should be avoided in describing Rotary International or its Foundation.”
“Where partners is used to delineate specific organizations engaged in global eradication of polio spearheading partners refers to the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International (RI), the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).”
“Rotary is engaged in one specific coalition; that is the coalition to advocate increased contributions by the U.S. Government to global polio eradication. The coalition includes
The Rotary Foundation of R.I., the United Nations Foundation, the Task Force for
Child Survival and Development, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the American
Academy of Paediatrics and the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. Rotary is the leader.”

“Rotary is the leading non-governmental contributor. Whenever possible, most of the polio eradication costs are borne by the polio-endemic countries themselves. However, as the battle against polio is taken to the poorest, least-developed nations on earth, and those in the midst of civil conflict, up to 100 percent of the NID and other polio eradication costs must be met by external donor sources.”

“Polio-specific contributions have been made by the following governments: Australia,
Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.”

17. A statement on global certification:
“Global Certification: An independent commission will consider global certification when no wild polio virus associated cases have occurred for at least three years, in the presence of certification-standard surveillance, and all wild poliomyelitis stocks have been appropriately contained.”

18. A statement on the cessation of polio immunization:
“Immunization against polio can eventually cease and substantial savings expected after global certification, appropriate containment of poliovirus stocks, international consensus on the future use of oral polio vaccine (OPV), and stockpiles for use in the unlikely event of a re-introduction of the poliovirus.”

19. A statement on estimated annual global savings after cessation of immunization:
"The savings of polio eradication after immunization has ceased are potentially as high as US$1.5 billion per year - funds that could be used to address other public health priorities. This amount does not include the immeasurable price paid in human suffering by polio victims and their families.”

20. A statement on the annual cost of immunization of U.S. children against polio:
“The United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than US$350 million per year is spent on immunizing U.S. children against polio.”

21. A statement on type II wild poliovirus:
“Type II wild poliovirus has not been found since October 1999, suggesting that transmission of one of the three types of wild poliovirus may have been interrupted.”

22. A statement on the importations of the poliovirus:
In 2003, there were 35 cases (data as of 11 February 2004) of paralytic polio following importations of wild poliovirus into previously polio-free countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ghana, Lebanon, Niger and Togo). In 2003, 34 of these importations were linked to wild poliovirus originating in northern Nigeria, and the case in Lebanon was linked to poliovirus originating in India.

23. A statement on instances of vaccine-derived polio:
“Between 2000 and mid-2003 there were three episodes of vaccine-derived poliovirus resulting in 28 polio cases in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, and Madagascar due to circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus.”

24. A statement on the Vitamin A distribution during polio National Immunization Days.
“Since 1998, the inclusion of Vitamin A supplements on NIDs has averted an estimated
1.25 million childhood deaths.”

The Committee further requests that the General Secretary, in official and public releases and statements, follow the above expressions. Finally, the Committee requests that all other RI and TRF officials and spokespersons, and all organizations which report to the Committee, adhere to the approved statements and observe the recommended terminology.