United States and Russia to Eradicate Polio Around the World

The US government and the government of the Russian Federation, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID; Washington DC, USA), the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS; Washington DC, USA), and the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation (MOHSD; Moscow, Russia) have signed a protocol of intent on cooperation for the global eradication of polio.

The protocol of intent between the US and Russia outlines a globally-based partnership on polio eradication between USAID, HHS, The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and MOHSD, using their expertise in coordination with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) strategy to accelerate polio eradication. Potential collaborative efforts may include disease surveillance, support for immunization campaigns, technical assistance, advocacy efforts, and additional areas for potential partnership. The agreement builds upon previous successful US-Russian cooperation on global health, including work together on HIV/AIDS in several countries in Africa.

"I am excited by the potentially huge impact that we can have when combining our countries' respective talent and expertise to overcome our world's development challenges," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah.

"The global eradication of polio is a public health priority for HHS and USAID and for their international partners, including Russia. Ridding the world of this preventable disease will dramatically reduce the global burden of disability and death from polio, especially among the world's children," said Nils Daulaire, MD, director of global health affairs at the HHS. "We are pleased to have this opportunity to strengthen our partnership with our Russian colleagues to work towards a world without polio."

The World Health Organization (WHO; Geneva, Switzerland) the CDC, Rotary International, and the United Nations Children's Fund launched the GPEI in 1988, which since then has formed partnerships with host governments and the public and private sector to successfully achieve a 99% reduction in polio worldwide. The disease is highly infectious and mainly affects children under the age of five. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, and among those paralyzed 5% - 10% die. In recent years, polio outbreaks were identified in Central Asia with several new cases also reported in Russia; if left unaddressed, polio threatens to return to pre-eradication levels in the hundreds of thousands each year.

Related Links:
US Agency for International Development
US Department of Health and Human Services
Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation