Press Release

Tony Blair receives award for UK’s fight to create a Polio-Free World

(London, UK – 11 May 2006) UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was today named Polio Eradication Champion by Rotary International. 

The award, presented by Luis Vicente Giay, Past President of Rotary International, was accepted on the Prime Minister’s behalf by Hilary Benn, UK Secretary of State for International Affairs.  Rotary established this award in 1995 to recognize governments and world leaders who have made outstanding contributions toward the goal of eradicating polio.  "On behalf of Rotary’s 1.2 million members worldwide, I am honored to present this award in recognition of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s unwavering support for polio eradication,” said Giay. 

Hilary Benn said:

“Eighteen years ago 125 countries were blighted by polio. Today it is endemic in only four countries. If we are to wipe out this terrible disease in the next two years, donors from around the world must fill the funding gap so children in Africa and Asia continue to receive polio drops and immunisation drives are not disrupted.

“I think we all look forward to the day when polio can be consigned to the medical history books and there will be no need for such an award.”

The UK is the second largest public sector donor to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, most recently having pledged £60 million for 2005-2008, £20 million of which has already been disbursed. 

Mr Benn called on the other members of the G8 group of industrialised nations as well as non-traditional donors and the private sector to step forward and fill the m funding gap by July.    He warned that if a further 0 million was not raised to take action from 2006 to 2008 it would lead to over 10 million new polio cases around the world by 2050.  Mr Benn suggested that funds could also come from other, non G8 countries, such as countries belonging to the Organisation of Islamic Conference, who are playing an increasingly important role in tackling development issues.

Today, polio is only endemic in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan - the lowest number of polio-endemic countries in history - but Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Niger, Somalia and Yemen have been re-infected.

Polio is a highly infectious disease which mainly affects children under five years of age.  There is no cure but it can be prevented. For as little as US .60 cents worth of vaccine, a child can be protected against this crippling disease for life.     The number of children infected with polio has dropped by 99 per cent from 350,000 cases in 1988 to 2000 reported cases at the end of 2005.  .

Past recipients of the award have included Bill Clinton, Kofi Annan and Pervez Musharraf.

Rotary International said the award to Tony Blair was for his efforts at last year’s G8 summit to encourage other world leaders to make good on past commitments on polio eradication.  During meetings of the Commission on Africa in 2005, the Prime Minister had encouraged leaders of polio endemic countries, particularly Nigeria, to take swift action and finish the job of eradication.