Polio Eradication 2012-2014 – World Health Organization (WHO)

This grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) supports the polio immunization activities of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Afghanistan. Through the Polio Eradication project, more than seven million children across Afghanistan receive polio vaccinations. Polio vaccination campaigns occur regularly throughout Afghanistan at a national level and also at a provincial level in areas where there is a higher rate of incidence of the disease. The polio campaigns are also used as a platform for delivering other essential health services such as micronutrient supplementation and health promotion. Afghanistan is one of three countries in the world where polio remains endemic. Children younger than the age of five are most at risk for being infected by the disease and the risk is highest in southern Afghanistan. The biggest barrier to eradicating polio in Afghanistan is the unstable security situation. As part of the project, local health workers work to ensure that the polio vaccine is administered to children despite this situation. The WHO is responsible for technical assistance, training, micro-planning, post-campaign assessment surveys, data analysis, and report writing. The WHO also coordinates research, provides technical and operational support to the Ministry of Public Health, and coordinates the training and deployment of human resources for supplementary technical assistance. CIDA has also partnered with UNICEF for the implementation of the Polio Eradication project.