Dean Smith (WA, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and on behalf of Senator Polley, move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes:

  (i) the invaluable contribution Rotary International has made since 1978 to tackle global Poliomyelitis (polio) eradication, a paralysing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens many children in some parts of the world,

  (ii) that, since the launch of Rotary lnternational's PolioPlus program in 1985, Rotary has contributed more than $1.7 billion and countless volunteer hours to immunise more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries,

  (iii) that, thanks to the success of this program, there are now just 3 polio endemic countries with 37 wild polio cases worldwide in 2016, which is a reduction of more than 99.9 per cent since 1988, when there were 350 000 polio cases, and

  (iv) that, thanks to Rotary's advocacy efforts, donor governments, including Australia, have contributed more than $7.2 billion to the global eradication of polio; and

(b) recognises that:

  (i) the Australian Government's current commitment to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is $54 million over six years (2015 to 2020), which builds on the $50 million provided to GPEI between 2011-2015, taking Australia's total commitment to GPEI, since 2011, to $104 million,

  (ii) Australia is providing $36 million over four years (2015-16 to 2018-19) to the World Bank to support countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific to strengthen their immunisation systems, including for the introduction of the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV), a key component of the global polio eradication strategy,

  (iii) the Government's dual investment approach allows Australia to contribute to global efforts to eradicate polio, and protect our region from the risk of polio re-emerging, and

  (iv) Australia also supports routine immunisation through its contributions to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance ($250 million pledged for 2016-2020), UNICEF ($21 million in 2016-17), and the World Health Organization ($12.4 million voluntary contribution in 2016-17).

Question agreed to.