Ann McKechin MP today welcomed the Government’s announcement of £100 million to help finally rid the world of the crippling scourge of polio.

The UK investment is part of a new £435 million ($630 million) package announced today in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary International and Germany. Last year there were 1,600 cases of polio reported across the four countries where it is still endemic – India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

Commenting on the announcement, Ann said:

“Members of the community with relatives in the countries affected have told me how important the fight against polio is. Health experts warn that polio could spread across national borders unless a final push for eradication happens. I am delighted that with this new funding, we can now see the prospect of an end to the thousands of new polio sufferers each year.”

The money will be used to fund a wide range of initiatives, including:

• National immunisation days, where countries aim to immunise every child under five years old with an oral polio vaccine
• Supplemental vaccinations focussed on children in high risk area
• Research into new vaccines and ways to ensure they are available to vulnerable children 
• Monitoring activities to detect cases of polio so that progress can be measured and outbreaks contained

The last recorded case of polio infection in the UK was in 1982, and the last known imported case occurred in the UK was in 1993.

Labour’s International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander said:

“This £100 million pledge by the UK Government, combined with the money from our other partners, is a massive boost in the battle to rid the world of the scourge of polio.

“We have already significantly increased the number vaccinations for those people most at risk and there has been real progress in reducing the number of new infections.

“Now is the time to make the final push to eradicate polio and this investment will ensure future generations in the developing world will no longer have their lives blighted by this crippling disease.

“In today’s testing global economic climate, it is crucial we don’t forget the health problems suffered by the world’s poorest people, problems which we were able to wipe out in the developed world long ago.”