Child receiving oral polio vaccine in Ethiopia from a healthcare worker in a mask

ask your MP to help fund polio eradication

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that can lead to paralysis and death. Since 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has helped reduce the incidence of polio by 99.9%, immunising more than 2.5 billion children worldwide. Now, we must tackle the final 0.1% of polio cases and prevent the re-emergence of polio in places like Gaza, which has seen its first new case in 25 years.

what

while polio has been largely eradicated around the world, it is re-emerging in places such as Gaza, where vaccination rates have plummeted

who

the UK Government must recommit to funding the fight to eradicate polio for good

how

ask your MP to write to Development Minister Anneliese Dodds MP before the upcoming Spending Review

why do we need more funding for polio eradication now?

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that mainly affects children under 5 years of age, and can lead to paralysis and death. Since 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has helped countries protect their populations from this debilitating disease.

Now, the task remains to tackle the final 0.1% of polio cases and to prevent the re-emergence of polio in places like Gaza, where much health infrastructure has been destroyed in the ongoing conflict. As GPEI seeks continued funding from the UK, the UK Government must recommit to providing it with the essential support it needs to finish the job and eradicate polio for good, everywhere.

the new risk from polio re-emergence

Poliovirus (polio) is a debilitating disease of childhood, causing death or lifelong disability. It is now only endemic (in the environment) in two countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan. But until poliovirus transmission is interrupted, all countries remain at risk of importing polio, especially vulnerable countries with weak public health and immunisation services, and there have been several new polio outbreaks around the world in the last year. Nevertheless, global eradication of polio is said to be “tantalisingly close”.

Donors including the UK Government are currently deciding how much money they will provide towards eradicating polio in 2025. This work is particularly urgent in places such as Gaza, because of the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis there, which risks the re-emergence of polio in a previously protected community. Gaza has been polio-free for the last 25 years. However the conflict means that vaccination rates have fallen, and people no longer have access to clean water supplies or adequate nutrition.

On 16 August, the first case of polio in Gaza in 25 years was reported in a 10-month-old child, following the finding of polio in water samples in July. The re-emergence of polio represents a severe threat (beyond the conflict itself) to the children in Gaza and to those in neighbouring countries, should the disease spread. Polio vaccines have been delivered to Gaza and an urgent immunisation campaign is now happening, with a humanitarian pause in the conflict agreed to allow vaccination to take place.

Since 1988, along with its partners, the GPEI has helped countries around the world protect the global population from polio. Since then, more than 2.5 billion children have been immunised against the disease thanks to the cooperation of more than 200 countries and 20 million volunteers. It is estimated that 16 million people today are walking who would have otherwise been paralysed by polio, and more than 1.5 million people are alive whose lives would have otherwise been lost.

To tackle the final 0.1% of polio cases and to prevent the re-emergence of polio in places like Gaza, the GPEI seeks continued funding from the UK and other donors. It is imperative that the UK Government recommits to providing the GPEI the essential support it needs to finish the job and eradicate polio for good.

what can you do to help

The new Government is currently reviewing public spending for the next year. This is happening very quickly – by October. Decisions on international development spending will be taken by the new Development Minister, Anneliese Dodds MP, and senior civil servants.

Please write to your MP about the importance of funding polio eradication work. Emphasise that the conflict in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis this has caused greatly increases the risk of a new polio outbreak.

Ask your MP to write to Anneliese Dodds to influence the public spending review. Ask them to call on the UK Government to commit £100 million to the GPEI for the period 2025-26. Emphasise the urgency of this request because of the risk of the re-emergence of polio in Gaza.

Read our guidance on how to write to your MP – you can find their contact details here.

what campaigners have achieved on polio eradication so far

Results campaigners helped persuade the Government to make a £400 million pledge to polio eradication in 2019, continuing a long history of UK support for polio eradication efforts.

Thanks to your campaigning, the dramatic cuts to UK funding for polio programmes in 2021 were not the end of the story. For example, in 2022, the UK Government agreed a £30 million increase in the amount of funds released from the original 2019 pledge, and to date, £110 million has been spent.

Thank you to everyone who wrote to the previous Government during World Immunisation Week back in April, asking them to fund polio eradication.

take action!

write to your MP about the importance of funding polio eradication work

ask your MP to urge the UK Government to commit £100 million to the GPEI for the period 2025-26

emphasise the urgency of this because of the risk of the re-emergence of polio in Gaza

I took action!

we’re here to support you!

If you have any questions or need support or advice in writing your letter, please contact Naveed Chaudhri, Head of Campaigns, at [email protected]

“I don’t want children to be affected by poliovirus like I was”

My name is Farid, and I am 35 years old. I live in the Bati Kot district of Nangarhar province [of Afghanistan]. I contracted polio when I was three years old. The symptoms started with a fever, then a weakness in my left leg and weakness in my left hand. While strength eventually returned to my hand, my leg remained weak. My parents took me to the doctor. After medical examinations, the doctors said that I had polio and there is no cure. When my parents heard that I could not be treated, they took me home.

Growing up with a paralyzed leg created many challenges for me. I couldn’t play with other children but I never lost hope. I fought to live my life like other children in my community. I started attending school, then completed my studies in computer science. My parents were always supportive, especially in my studies and building my career.

I make sure to vaccinate my children at every opportunity. I don’t want them to be affected by poliovirus like I was. I also encourage my neighbours to vaccinate their children whenever they have the opportunity.

Read more about Farid’s story on the GPEI website and hear from polio champions around the world.

^{Credit: GPEI}