Polio eradication remains a priority for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Without eradication, a resurgence of polio could paralyze more than 200,000 children worldwide every year within a decade,” says Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, Director of the CDC.
The journey towards polio eradication has been a collaborative effort. In 1998, the CDC established the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) program. The programs trains volunteers to improve surveillance, help plan, implement and evaluate vaccination campaigns. Since then, volunteers have worked in more than 60 countries.
That same year, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Rotary International founded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The public-private organization includes more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers whose goal is a polio free world. In 2011, Dr. Frieden enlisted the support of the CDC.
However, the wild poliovirus in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan caused international concerns. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan issued Temporary Recommendations under the International Health Regulations to prevent further spread. Wild polovirus enters through the mouth and spreads through faeces. It targets young children, especially those who are not toilet-trained and has the ability to spread rapidly. If enough children are vaccinated against polio, the virus has no children to infect and eventually dies off.
Through the collaborative effort, polio cases have dropped 99 percent since GBEI was established in 1998. As of May 2015, 24 cases of polio have been reported. Pakistan has 23 cases and Afghanistan has one.
The CDC is currently taking applications for its 47th STOP team through May 31. To apply, follow these instructions.
