The savings of polio eradication, once immunization stops, are estimated to be US$ 1.5 billion per year funds that can be used to address other public health priorities.
In many countries polio eradication is expanding the capacity to tackle other diseases by building effective disease reporting and surveillance systems, training epidemiologists and establishing a global laboratory network.
No child, regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, economic status or religious belief, need ever fear or suffer from this crippling disease.
For further information, journalists can contact the Spokesperson's Office, WHO. Geneva. Telephone: (+41 22) 791 2599. Fax: (+41 22) 791 4858. E-mail: inf@who.int. All WHO Press Releases, Fact Sheets and Features as well as other information on this subject can be obtained on Internet on the WHO home page https://www.who.int or visit https://www.polioeradication.org.
© WHO/OMS, 1998