The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is deeply saddened by the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.  Her leadership, steadfastness and commitment to service was exemplary throughout her life, and made her a globally-respected moral voice for some of the most marginalized people in our world.  We wish to express our deepest sympathy to her family and of course to all the people of the UK and indeed the Commonwealth.

The UK, Commonwealth and indeed the Royal Family have long been a proud and important supporter to the global eradication effort, and none has arguably been a more committed advocate than His Majesty King Charles III.  While still HRH Prince of Wales, Charles III engaged personally in this effort, adding his voice and commitment to ensuring children around the world are fully protected from lifelong polio paralysis.

In October 2003 in India, HRH Prince Charles participated in Polio National Immunization Days, observing the vaccination of children in villages on the outskirts of New Delhi.  In 2018, at the Commonwealth Leaders Summit, HRH Prince Charles highlighted the polio programme as an example of successful, joint action against disease, noting that hundreds of millions of children have benefitted from polio vaccination thanks to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.  In 2013, during another visit to India, he acknowledged Rotary’s tremendous efforts in eradicating polio in India, as he accepted and posed with a Rotary ‘End Polio Now’ scarf for media photographers.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative would like to extend our very best wishes to His Majesty King Charles III, for a long and successful reign.  Under his leadership, and indeed the UK and the Commonwealth’s, the effort to eradicate polio will continue unabated until our common goal of achieving a lasting world free of all forms of poliovirus is fully achieved.