The Medical Freedom Channel

“The final push toward global eradication of polio has been full of pitfalls, but those fighting the disease expect to finalize a plan today that they believe should wipe out the virus. Backed by a new Harvard analysis that details the high costs of failure, an urgent World Health Organization meeting will bring together donors, infectious disease experts, and representatives of the last countries in which polio is still transmitted — Nigeria, India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Spurred by doubts on whether polio can be eradicated , public health officials have debated whether to continue the 18-year effort to kill the disease, or to simply control outbreaks of it. The WHO, under director-general Margaret Chan has decided to continue toward eradication, and the new plan depends on the four countries’ leaders to commit to it — and intensify programs to vaccinate children.” (02/28/07)