The task of eradicating polio was on the agenda in Westminster yesterday, as part of the weekly Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) session.
A question from Catherine McKinnell, Labour MP for Newcastle upon Tyne North, cited one of her constituents who, despite being diagnosed with polio before his first birthday, has maintained regular employment for over 40 years, and continues to do so.
Prime Minister David Cameron then briefly discussed the polio fight, commenting: “We are so close to eradicating polio entirely from our world, and this government is committed to going the extra mile to making that happen.”
The United Kingdom has recently pledged to continue its commitment to fighting to eliminate polio across the globe through a ÂŁ300 million financial contribution.
Worldwide, an additional $1.5 billion is required to continue immunisation programmes and combat any potential outbreaks in at risk areas, including in countries which are no longer classed as polio endemic. The global goal is to rid the world of polio by 2019, which would see a disease eliminated for just the second time in human history.
Rotary International has made polio eradication its primary humanitarian objective for over 30 years, with thousands of members across Great Britain and Ireland dedicating their time and talents to projects, which have helped see the number of polio endemic countries fall from 125 to just two.
PMQs are available to view online through the BBC iPlayer. You can watch David Cameron’s full response on the following link, from 20 minutes and 10 seconds in.
Published: Thursday 10th March 2016
