Report prepared by Véronique Inès Thouvenot
24 October 2022
24 October 2022
The theme of this conference was Polio and after Polio. Introduced by WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Jennifer Jones, RI President 2022-2023, October 21 was dedicated to providing updates on the global polio eradication campaign. The interventions described the current state of the world situation, with recent resurgences in unexpected countries, Israel, USA. Public health and vaccination measures were taken immediately, and wastewater analysis monitoring keeps you informed in real time.
This nevertheless shows that it is not over and that we must continue vaccination campaigns in the world to eradicate this virus which is, it must not be forgotten, deadly! Many survivors testify to their lives with multiple disabilities and daily pain.
The consensus is clear for the WHO and the RI: we must continue and raise funds to go until eradication in 2026.
The following day of October 22 is devoted to the transition to be organized after Polio.
Two options emerge:
1. Extend Polio vaccination to a more global immunization process by including other vaccines, malaria, Ebola, yellow fever, measles, HPV, cholera. Ten countries concentrate the greatest needs, including Nigeria, Nigeria, India, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Philippines. The COVID pandemic has left more than 25 million children without vaccinations for two years! This is a backlog that needs to be caught up as soon as possible.
2. Link polio with maternal and child health. 47% of mothers have no follow-up of their pregnancy in the world. Mothers having their babies vaccinated against Polio would also be informed about their pregnancy, nutrition, breastfeeding, hygiene, education, access to water...
Both options have strong and convincing arguments. Meetings must continue in 2022-2023 with the various partners involved.
The afternoon allows the presentation of more than 30 maternal and child health projects in Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe.
I presented Zero Mothers Die, supported by Rotary Club Saint Raphaël since 2019, and this year by three European Rotary Clubs Lodi (Italy), City & Shoreditch (London UK) and Leipzig (Germany) for Gambo hospital in Ethiopia.
At the closing of the conference by Jennifer Jones, she repeated that Polio is not over! Communication campaigns, local and international actions, new partners, convince more everywhere, all has to be continued, and learn form Polio for maternal and child health in the future.
This nevertheless shows that it is not over and that we must continue vaccination campaigns in the world to eradicate this virus which is, it must not be forgotten, deadly! Many survivors testify to their lives with multiple disabilities and daily pain.
The consensus is clear for the WHO and the RI: we must continue and raise funds to go until eradication in 2026.
The following day of October 22 is devoted to the transition to be organized after Polio.
Two options emerge:
1. Extend Polio vaccination to a more global immunization process by including other vaccines, malaria, Ebola, yellow fever, measles, HPV, cholera. Ten countries concentrate the greatest needs, including Nigeria, Nigeria, India, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Philippines. The COVID pandemic has left more than 25 million children without vaccinations for two years! This is a backlog that needs to be caught up as soon as possible.
2. Link polio with maternal and child health. 47% of mothers have no follow-up of their pregnancy in the world. Mothers having their babies vaccinated against Polio would also be informed about their pregnancy, nutrition, breastfeeding, hygiene, education, access to water...
Both options have strong and convincing arguments. Meetings must continue in 2022-2023 with the various partners involved.
The afternoon allows the presentation of more than 30 maternal and child health projects in Africa, Americas, Asia, and Europe.
I presented Zero Mothers Die, supported by Rotary Club Saint Raphaël since 2019, and this year by three European Rotary Clubs Lodi (Italy), City & Shoreditch (London UK) and Leipzig (Germany) for Gambo hospital in Ethiopia.
At the closing of the conference by Jennifer Jones, she repeated that Polio is not over! Communication campaigns, local and international actions, new partners, convince more everywhere, all has to be continued, and learn form Polio for maternal and child health in the future.
 With Jennifer Jones and Jean Luc Perrin, Rotary International representative at United Nations, Geneva. |  |  |
