By Greg Mulholland, Member of Parliament for the United Kingdom.
It was just over a year ago the UK made history by enshrining into law its promise to spend at least 0.7% of its national income on international aid and development. Now I know this doesn’t sound like much, but the impact of such a commitment is transformative for so many lives across the world. Whether it’s putting 11 million children in the developing world through school, or delivering vaccines that will save the lives of millions of children, the UK will continue its proud history of helping those in the world that need it the most.
The bill passing into law last year was an example of politics at its best. UK aid has benefitted so many, so much so it saves a life every two minutes. It’s something that we should be proud of as a nation- I know I certainly am. I write this article for Global Citizen today because we now have another opportunity to make a real difference and improve the lives of so many children around the world; we have the power to finally wipe out polio.
Polio is a disease that can maim and disfigure, and in the most serious of cases, cause paralysis and death. It has been around for as long as humans have, and has ravaged countries across the entire world. It devastated the UK and US in the 1950s and up to 1988, still had 350,000 new cases every year across 125 countries.
Immediate global action was required to bring it under control, so in 1988 the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the complete eradication of polio. From this the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was formed with the sole purpose of wiping out what would be only the second ever disease after smallpox.
Led by organisations such as Rotary International, UNICEF, The World Health Organisation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, GPEI has had incredible success over the last three decades. So much so that 99.9% of the disease has been eradicated, with only two countries remaining polio endemic- Pakistan and Afghanistan.
With less than 1% of the disease remaining, you’d think it’s pretty much job done. Well sadly not. Polio is an extremely infectious disease that is easily spread from country to country. As the outbreak in the Ukraine showed last year, whilst there is just one case in the world, every child in the world is at risk. If polio isn't eradicated we could see a global resurgence of the disease, with as many as 200,000 new cases each year within a decade.
What does all this have to do with politics?
Well last year the GPEI announced that in order to eradicate polio by 2019 it needs USD $1.5 billion from donor countries. The United Kingdom has been a world leader in the fight to eradicate polio, and their support, both political and financial, has been integral to eradication efforts. Alongside countries like the US, Canada and Australia, they’re currently working with GPEI to see if they can support this latest financial ask; an ask that could finally see the end of this disease.
Whilst Governments from around the world are deciding on whether to support GPEI, it’s crucial that we show there is significant public and political support for the eradication of polio. That’s why I signed up to become a ‘Polio Champion’ on OneLastPush.org. This website, developed by organisations such as The Global Poverty Project, RESULTS UK and the British Polio Fellowship, aims to showcase the political enthusiasm behind eradication and I’m proud to join 47 of my parliamentary colleagues for this worthwhile project.
The passing of the 0.7 Bill was a proud moment for me and will remain with me long after I leave politics. I became an MP to help people and that’s what the UK aid does- it helps people. And to have the chance to play my part in ending a disease that has hurt and killed so many is something that I can’t ignore. I’m proud to support the end of polio and again I urge everyone else to do the same; together we can end polio within this Parliament.
Greg Mulholland has been the Liberal Democrat MP for Leeds North West since May 2005 and has a longstanding interest in global justice and the eradication of poverty.
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of each of the partners of Global Citizen.