Polio eradication was a hot topic at the 38th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the newly renamed Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC – formerly known as the Organisation of Islamic Conferences).

A resolution resulting from the session urges, among other things, that “the member states affected by polio, AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria … undertake necessary steps to fight these dangerous communicable diseases and requests the potential donors to give generously to the GPEI [Global Polio Eradication Initiative] and the Global Fund”.

The resolution also recognizes the ongoing efforts by Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan to eradicate polio, reminds the other member states to ensure their children are immunized against the virus, and requests that the Islamic Development Bank consider funding polio vaccine for Afghanistan.

The OIC Secretary-General’s address to the Council.