Polio Eradication

The endgame of polio eradication (final interruption of wild poliovirus transmission is targeted by the end of 2016) has presented technical and financial challenges and also the need to overcome social, political, religious and cultural hurdles in the last disease-endemic countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan). There are critical issues to be tackled in learning the lessons of this 30-year effort and ensuring that the legacy of polio eradication is captured at both national and global levels.

This session will present the results of a one-year study of the polio endgame lessons and legacy and will provide the opportunity following the presentation of research findings to comment and debate how these can best be used for the benefit of national health systems and global health and the implications for health governance. The session will include a brief presentation summarising the key study findings and reactions from a distinguished panel (45 min); and a dialogue with the audience (45 min).