In many countries polio no longer exists due to an extensive vaccination program. But especially in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the virus still regularly crops up. And even in New York, Israel, cases of polio were suddenly reported again last month. Polio, which is transmitted from person to person, can cause polio, among other things.
Pakistan has reported 20 cases of polio so far this year, all in the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Afghanistan, which has registered two cases this year, had until recently been denied access to vaccines due to violence and the Taliban banning polio teams from areas under its control. Meanwhile, the Taliban has agreed to allow United Nations health workers to launch a national campaign.
The eradication initiative is a public-private partnership led by a group of national governments, including the Gates Foundation, Rotary International, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.