Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to support this motion. Historically, polio has been the world's greatest cause of disability and still today there is no cure. The best protection is prevention. Polio is a debilitating disease which can cause paralysis within hours, paralysis which is almost always irreversible. In severe cases the disease attaches to the motor neurons of the brain stem, which causes breathing difficulty and can lead to death. In the next 40 years more than 10 million children will be paralysed if the world does not capitalise on its US$5 billion global investment in eradication.

In 1985 Rotary International, a wonderful organisation, launched PolioPlus, a program which has been described as the most ambitious undertaking in Rotary's history. Through PolioPlus Rotary has raised more than US$800 million worldwide and is currently working to raise an additional US$200 million towards a US$355 million challenge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I acknowledge the work in my electorate of Riverina of all the Rotary clubs within District 9700, which have worked hard to raise money for this most worthwhile cause. Rotary has also led the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, in conjunction with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the US Centers for Disease Control. Since 1985, more than two billion children have been immunized through this initiative. Two billion children have been given a great start against the possibility of contracting polio. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative objectives are to interrupt transmission of the wild polio virus as soon as possible, to achieve certification of global polio eradication and to contribute to health systems development and strengthening routine immunisation and surveillance for communicable diseases in a systematic way. With the vaccinations offered through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, more than five million people who would otherwise have been paralysed are walking today because they have been immunised. This shows the effectiveness of the immunisation and how important it is that the initiative's work continues. The PolioPlus program is recognised internationally for its use of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal. I wish to extend my thanks to Rotary for their wonderful work in this area. In 2008 Dr Margaret Chan, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation, announced that polio eradication was the organisation's top priority. She stated:

As an international community, we have few opportunities to do something that is unquestionably good for every country and every child, in perpetuity. Polio eradication is one of these opportunities.

Through the WHO's ongoing work in 2009 more than 361 million children were immunised in 40 countries during 273 supplementary immunisation activities. In 2010 only four countries in the world remained polio-endemic, down from more than 125 countries in 1988. These countries are Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. This is a great achievement, but work must continue to help vaccinate children, particularly in these polio-prone countries. It is also heartening to learn that as of 12 August 2011 Kazakhstan has passed 12 months with no reported polio cases. However, it takes only one child to remain infected and children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio. In 2009-10, 23 previously polio-free countries were reinfected due to imports of the virus. This is a disease we must remain constantly vigilant against, and I urge everyone who can do anything to eradicate polio to do what they can to prevent this disease from spreading and to ensure that immunisation prevents any children or adults from becoming infected in the future.

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