The eradication of polio is at the top of Norway’s annual support efforts with funding earmarked for this effort from NOK 50 million to NOK 240 million for the next six years.
The funding will be through the GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation), a public-private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.
“I am very pleased that we have signed an agreement with the GAVI Alliance to support its efforts to eradicate polio,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende. “We have an unprecedented opportunity to eliminate this infectious and crippling disease, but a concerted effort is needed if we are to succeed.” According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a new polio epidemic could break out in war-stricken countries such as Syria and Somalia, where hundreds of thousands of children have not been vaccinated.
The virus can easily be spread to countries that have eliminated polio by international travellers. “The additional Norwegian funding will contribute to permanent eradication of polio by ensuring that polio vaccination is included in the routine immunisation programmes in countries that receive support from GAVI. This is essential if we are to achieve our goal of stamping out the disease,” said Brende.