Signature Project: Polio Eradication

One of Canada’s six priorities for moving forward on Afghanistan is to help the Afghan government provide humanitarian assistance to vulnerable people, including refugees, returnees, and internally displaced persons. In support of this priority, the Polio Eradication Signature Project will see the immunization of an estimated seven million children across Afghanistan, including 350,000 in the province of Kandahar. Southern Afghanistan has the highest national incidence of this debilitating virus.

Canada will invest up to $60 million* over three years to eliminate this debilitating disease. This will make Canada the largest international donor in this area. Canada’s leadership on polio eradication directly addresses the recommendation of the Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan for a major signature project that directly benefits the Afghan people and is clearly identified with Canada.

Project activities will include mapping nomadic routes and establishing vaccination points at major border crossings, with vaccination schedules synchronized between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Local health workers will ensure that the polio vaccine is administered to children in every district of Kandahar.

Canadian objectives for 2011

Working closely with the Government of Afghanistan and the international community, Canada hopes to eliminate polio completely in Afghanistan by 2009. Canada’s partners in the international community include the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. This project will make it possible to improve the general health of Afghans and to strengthen the delivery of health services in Afghanistan.

Additional facts

Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under 5. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. Among those paralyzed, 5 percent to 10 percent die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

According to the WHO, in 2008, only four countries in the world remain polio-endemic, down from more than 125 in 1988. The remaining countries are Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Pockets of polio transmission persist in northern India, northern Nigeria, and along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. These pockets are the current targets of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

Funding for this signature project is included in the Government of Canada’s investment of up to $111 million* over the next three years to help the Government of Afghanistan provide humanitarian assistance in Kandahar.

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* Specific allocations are subject to adjustments in response to changes in the complex Afghan environment.