Are you Canadian? Sign the official E-Petition calling on the Government of Canada to pledge to end polio.
Canada turns 150 years old on July 1st, and for all of the country’s many achievements, one task remains unfinished: the eradication of polio.
Since the polio vaccine was discovered in 1955, Canada has been one of the disease’s most formidable foes, investing huge sums in vaccination drives all around the world.
Canada made its first financial commitment to polio eradication efforts in 1987, to support the advent of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. In 2013 the country pledged a landmark 5-year commitment of CAN $250 million to help with the very final push to eradicate polio.
“The Canadian government is committed to eradicating polio in Pakistan,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s Minister of International Development in a statement. “Getting rid of polio in Pakistan would be a major step toward its eradication worldwide. Pakistan is one of the few countries where new cases of polio are found, and we have the resources and the will to change this.”
Read More: India Celebrates 6 Years of Being Free of Polio
Back in 1987, polio was active in more than 125 countries and paralyzed 1,000 children each day. Annual cases have since fallen to just 74 global cases in 2015.
India eradicated the virus in 2012 and Nigeria almost followed in 2015, but then saw a resurgence of cases in Boko Haram-held territory, underscoring the fragility of any progress. So along with Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the last remaining strongholds of the disease.
Today, polio is 99.99% eradicated, but progress could be erased if funders ease up. Outbreaks can spread rapidly — especially in areas with patchy health care systems — if health workers don’t have the necessary resources to finish their jobs. Oftentimes, the places most vulnerable to polio are the hardest to reach, both geographically and culturally.
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation argues that without steady investments, polio could claw its way back and shoot up to 200,000 cases annually. More than 20 countries have seen outbreaks since 2008.
Read More: Afghanistan Aims to Eradicate Polio Forever With Massive Vaccine Campaign
Plus, one final infusion of funds could save the world money in the long-term. After all, once the disease is eradicated, expenditures fall precipitously.
Further, as the petition states, "the world will continue to benefit from the global health infrastructure, knowledge and tools put into place by the polio program to help fight diseases, like Ebola and measles. The global effort to end polio will continue to strengthen health systems, ensuring the world is equipped to protect against future public health threats."
That’s why we’re calling on the Canadian government to continue its leadership on this cause. Since Canada is turning 150, we’re asking the country to live up to this historic milestone with a commitment of CAN $150 million to eradication efforts.
To make this happen, we need every Canadian Global Citizen to sign the official E-Petition to the Government of Canada requesting a pledge of $150 million towards the fight to end polio once and for all. Sign the petition and make sure to check your email after, The Government of Canada will send a link that you must click to have your signature added.
Doing so would ensure that Canada — and the world — doesn’t have to worry about polio during the next 150 years.