“If you love your children, vaccinate them” is the message on this billboard in Angola urging parents and caregivers to have their young children vaccinated against polio.

Unprecedented Partnerships

Polio eradication is one of the largest collective public health efforts in history. Adopted as a “corporate cause” and championed by Rotary International, polio eradication is now on the agenda of every country in the world.

Working in close collaboration with national governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Rotary International are the primary implementing organizations of polio eradication. The United Nations Secretary-General has pledged his support and encouraged “Days of Tranquility” in conflict areas. Foundations such as Ted Turner’s UN Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have contributed millions of dollars and have pledged to raise more. Bilateral donors such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV), the international development agencies of Canada and Denmark, and the governments of Belgium, Italy, Finland, and Germany have all made significant financial contributions. The World Bank has supported activities in India, and private companies such as DeBeers and Aventis-Pasteur have also made donations.

Partnerships
As partners in a collective effort, governments, international organizations, and private companies and agencies realize the need for coordination in implementing polio vaccination programs. The logos of the Government of Angola, Rotary International, WHO, UNICEF, DFID, CDC, USAID, Odebrecht, and the DeBeers Corporation appear at the bottom of the billboard above in Luanda, Angola, promoting polio vaccination.