WHO - World Health Organization

Published purpose

The project supports the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s Supplementary Immunization Activities under their 2012-2013 Emergency Action Plan. This plan was developed in response to the epidemiologic situation of the poliovirus in 2012. Recognizing that high-risk and endemic areas need a tailored strategy in order to interrupt transmission, the plan outlined specific strategies to better support eradication efforts. These strategies include tailored approaches by individual countries in order to boost vaccination coverage and to tackle persistent challenges, and intensified focus on high-risk areas in endemic and re-infected countries to ensure vaccination coverage in order to stop transmission. This funding aims to improve immunization coverage in high-risk and endemic areas. Mass immunization campaigns are preventative measures, intended to fill immunization gaps from routine immunization activities. These supplementary immunization activities are targeted campaigns focusing on high-risk and vulnerable areas. This grant is the result of the “Pennies and More for Polio Initiative” with Rotary Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which came to a close on March 1, 2013. Canada agreed to match all the funds raised by Canadian Rotarians towards this Initiative by providing equal funding to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.