Polio
What is Polio?
Polio, short for Poliomyelitis, is an infectious disease. It is caused by a virus that invades the nervous system. Less than 1 percent of polio cases get to the paralysis stage, which is fatal when it reaches the muscles humans need to breath. Still, fewer than 10 percent of polio cases that reach paralysis result in death. Polio is a horrific disease because it tends to infect children under five, causing lifelong crippling conditions. There is no cure for polio, but there are two vaccines, meaning the strategy to eradicate the disease is focused on prevention.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)
International efforts to eradicate polio are coordinated through the GPEI 
. In a July 2011 report by the Independent Monitoring Board of the GPEI , the following assessment is made regarding progress on eradication efforts:
Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) achieved a 99% reduction in polio cases worldwide between 1988 (the year of the GPEI's founding) and 2000, but this was followed by a decade of "stalemate" with no further headway being made. Evidently, eradicating the final 1% of polio is the greatest challenge yet. Nothing short of excellence will complete this task. By our current assessment, the GPEI is not on track to interrupt polio transmission by the end of 2012.
The report goes on to list a number of challenges in the regions where polio still surfaces, followed by recommendations for moving forward. The U.S. government contributes to polio eradication financially, scientifically and tactically through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
News
- U.S. and Russia Sign Protocol on Polio Eradication (01/27/2011)
- USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah on US and Russian partnership to eradicate polio (Department of State YouTube Channel)
U.S. Government Links
- Information about polio from CDC
- Vaccine information from CDC
- Information about polio from the National Library of Medicine's MedLinePlus
- USAID efforts to eradicate polio
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Fact Sheet on Post-Polio Syndrome
- Travel advice from CDC
Other Links
- World Health Organization's polio web pages
- A history of polio (GPEI)
- Data and monitoring , including weekly updates, surveillance, and eradication targets (GPEI)
- Information about infected countries (GPEI)
- The Gates Foundation makes significant contributions to GPEI
- Rotary International is a GPEI partner
