In collaboration with the UN Foundation, a reception was held in the Norwegian ambassador’s residence in Washington, D.C. last week. Dr. Brundtland, Dr. Hamid Jafari (director of Global Polio Eradication Initiative) and Ted Turner all emphasized the significant progress that has been made in reducing polio around the world. Since 1988, polio has been reduced from 350,000 new cases per year to 222 in 2012. Due to the important work that has been done, based on the 1988 rate, 1.5 million people have been saved from polio’s paralysis and suffering.
In one of her speeches, Dr. Brundtland highlighted India as a country that has made particular progress in fighting polio. In January 2013, the country observed the two-year anniversary of its last reported case of polio. If there are no outbreaks this year, the country will be declared polio-free next year. If this happens, there will be only three countries left where polio is still active: Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
While in Washington, Dr. Brundtland also had meetings with Hillary Clinton, Lois Quam (Executive Director, Global Health Initiative) and Kathy Calvin (President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Foundation).