12 September 2012 – In her first week as the United Kingdom’s (UK) new Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening met polio survivors and UK paralympic athletes Ade Adepitan and Anne Wafula-Strike, to show solidarity and support for polio eradication. The two paralympians joined other polio survivors, Rotary International, the Global Poverty Project (GPP) and charity campaigners from across the UK, to hand over a petition in support of the End of Polio campaign.

“We have all been inspired by Paralympics GB this summer and it is great how they have teamed up with Global Poverty Project and Rotary International to lend their support to such a worthy cause,” commented International Development Secretary Greening, before urging increased global support to the eradication effort. “We are now on the verge of eradication polio across the world. Thanks to the UK’s doubling of support, we helped to vaccinate 45 million children and halve the number of polio cases recorded last year. It is vitally important other donors join us to support these global efforts and protect those who are still vulnerable.”

Paralympians Adepitan and Wafula-Strike met with Greening to thank the UK Government for leading the way in supporting the eradication of polio around the world. They handed over a petition to encourage the Government to continue their commitment to fighting this preventable disease.

Elisha London, GPP UK Country Director said: “Thanks to the UK Government’s past commitment to global polio eradication, millions of children around the world have been vaccinated against this debilitating and life threatening disease. As Parliament resumes, it is imperative that the UK government remains focused on the goal to create a world that is polio free.” More