31 January 2012, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia – OIC Secretary General appeals for sustained high-level political commitment and funding to eradicate polio in all OIC countries

During his address to the OIC Steering Committee meeting on Health held at the OIC Headquarters in Jeddah on 31st January and 1st February 2012, the Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, made the following appeal with regards to polio eradication:

“I would invite you to closely focus on the challenge of polio eradication as the three polio endemic countries in the world happen to be the OIC Member States.

I intend to follow up the issue with the leadership of the polio affected Member States in order to ensure sustained high-level political commitment for effective vaccination campaigns and stopping of wild poliovirus by end 2012. I urge all Member States to further cooperate in making available adequate supply of vaccines, diagnostics and medicines to support immunization programs in the spirit of Islamic solidarity and fraternity.

I request the Steering Committee Chairperson to consider addressing joint letters with me to the OIC donor Member States, OIC financial institutions, the G-8 countries and the G-20 countries to urgently consider providing additional financial contributions to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative to close the current funding gap for 2011-2012 and ensure that all planned polio vaccination campaigns targeting more than 140 million children in the polio-affected OIC Member States can be successfully implemented.”

For the full address of the OIC Secretary General, please click here.