European Parliament Declaration on Polio Eradication - Lobby your MEP

 
Rotary urges Rotarians to lobby their Euro MPs to sign declaration 008/2015 of the European Parliament that exhorts the European Commission to make a continued commitment to support the global eradication of polio.
 
 
 
The campaign for the global eradication of Polio, founded by Rotary International in 1985 and subsequently joined by strategic partners, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF and the Centre for Disease Control, has made massive strides in its noble objective. While over 380,000 people were infected this disease annually, in 2014 the number was just over 400 globally and up to March 21st 2015, there had been 20 cases, 19 of which were in Pakistan.
 
Eradicating the last 1 % of polio cases is difficult and costly, yet achievable by 2018 thanks to global efforts. As proven by recent outbreaks, no country  will be safe until all countries are free of polio. 
 
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has lobbied for the presentation in the European Parliament of a cross-party, non-political Declaration 008/2015 dated 9 March 2015 which urges the European Commission to make a continued commitment to supporting polio eradication as a priority in its future development actions, and to allocate appropriate levels of funding to polio vaccination campaigns and surveillance over the next four years.  

 

What Can You Do?

 

For this declaration to be presented to the European Commission this declaration needs to be signed by a majority of members of the European Parliament by the 9 June 2015 to come into effect.  We urge you to communicate with your Euro MP to lobby them to sign the declaration which is non-political and non-contentious.  Link them to this document to get them aware of the importance.

 

 

 

Additional information

 

Written Declaration 008/2015  

Lapse Date: 9 June 2015 

submitted 9 March 2015 under Rule 136 of the Rules of Procedure on continued European Union support for polio eradication

Linda McAvan (S&D), Elmar Brok (PPE), Davor Ivo Stier (PPE), Enrique Guerrero Salom (S&D), Mairead McGuinness (PPE), Michael Gahler (PPE), Maria Heubuch (Verts&/ALE), Louis Michel (ALDE), Nirj Deva (ECR), Charles Goerens (ALDE)

 

Written declaration, under Rule 136 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, on continued European Union support for polio eradication1

 

  1. The world is on the brink of one of its greatest public health achievements – the eradication of poliomyelitis.
  2. Childhood immunisation is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions available. Global polio eradication efforts have already generated net benefits of USD 27 billion and could save up to USD 50 billion in direct and indirect healthcare costs by 2035, not to mention the immeasurable alleviation of human suffering. Assets and infrastructures built to support the eradication effort are also currently being used in the response to the Ebola crisis.
  3. Eradicating the last 1 % of polio cases is difficult and costly, yet achievable by 2018 thanks to global efforts. As proven by recent outbreaks, no country – including the EU Member States – will be safe until all countries are free of polio.
  4. The Commission is therefore called upon to make a continued commitment to supporting polio eradication as a priority in its future development actions, and to allocate appropriate levels of funding to polio vaccination campaigns and surveillance over the next four years.
  5. This declaration, together with the names of the signatories, is forwarded to the Council and the Commission.

 

1 Under Rule 136(4) and (5) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure, where a declaration is signed by a majority of Parliament’s component Members, it is published in the minutes with the names of its signatories and forwarded to the addressees, without however binding Parliament.