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Polio, the deadly viral disease that was once the leading cause of paralysis among children worldwide, is very close to being eradicated. Since 1988, the number of children affected by polio has reduced by 99 per cent.
To eliminate polio completely, every child in every household must be vaccinated. But thousands of children are still missing out on the polio vaccine.
In addition to interruptions of vaccination campaigns and immunization activities by the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these children live in remote, fragile, and conflict-affected areas, which makes reaching them with vaccines even more difficult. Massive migrant and refugee populations,discrepancies in quality of vaccination campaigns and misinformation about vaccines also hamper polio eradication efforts.
The decline in childhood immunization coverage globally has resulted in increasing outbreaks of polio, emerging in some countries that have remained polio-free for decades. The global spread of polio is a stark reminder that until all forms of polio are gone, children in every country remain at risk.
The world is in the final stage of polio eradication. But pervasive challenges make this stage the most difficult yet.
UNICEF's response
As a spearheading partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), UNICEF helps vaccinate over 400 million children globally against polio every year. Our expertise lies in the supply of safe vaccines and building trust and motivating parents to vaccinate their children against polio. Working across 190 countries, in some of the world’s toughest places to reach the most disadvantaged children, no other organization is better placed to lead the global fight to eradicate polio.
UNICEF managing the procurement and distribution of over 1 billion doses of polio vaccines annually, representing more than 50% of global oral polio vaccine (OPV) supply. This includes working with manufacturers to ensure adequate supplies, competitive prices, and proper vaccine storage infrastructure.
In addition to procurement, UNICEF focuses on strengthening vaccine supply chains, training health workers, and monitoring vaccine stock levels to prevent wastage and ensure effective immunization coverage. When outbreaks occur, UNICEF leads large-scale immunization campaigns, deploys rapid response teams, and addresses vaccine misinformation on the ground.
UNICEF also tackles community-level challenges, including vaccine hesitancy and mistrust, by implementing Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies. These efforts involve community engagement, dialogue, and participation to promote vaccination acceptance and demand, with locally based polio workers and volunteers playing a vital role in reaching households and dispelling myths.
Furthermore, UNICEF integrates health, nutrition, education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services into polio vaccination campaigns, particularly in high-risk areas, demonstrating the importance of cross-sectoral collaboration for polio eradication and child well-being.
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