Observations and Suggestions on Polio Eradication • IPI has carried out situation assessments in AfPak, Nigeria and Somalia in recent weeks — full reports to be shared in coming days; • A few general observations: • Security situation in all three affected areas (AfPak, Nigeria, Somalia) is getting worse, and new outbreak is reported in Syria (again, linked to instability). Local circumstances/actors need to be understood in each case; • Little political will by de facto authorities (i.e. Taliban, Al-Shabab, Boko Haram, local officials) in the affected regions to assist in polio eradication, indeed active opposition in some cases; • Lack of trust if eradication efforts are implemented by people of a different ethnicity/tribe/clan; • Suspicion that health workers are gathering intelligence and that polio eradication is a foreign conspiracy of espionage (i.e. Bin Laden); • Criticism that some health workers are not properly trained; • Funds for polio eradication are significant in relation to poor local economies. In some cases this is creating dependency. Corruption is rampant; • Continued misinformation (intended and unintended) about the polio eradication campaigns; • In all affected areas, polio is part of a set of broader health, development and stability problems, and there are criticisms of an over focus and disproportionate funding on polio compared to other urgent problems. Suggested remedial measures 1. Accentuate the positive: global campaign has been hugely successful — more than 99 percent eradication. If Gates initiative had not been made, polio would remain rampant, threatening the lives of children across the globe; 2. Play down the target date of 2015 (which probably cannot be reached) — although the goal remains the same; 3. Make the polio campaign part of broader health programmes and development projects through an active cooperation and coordination EFTA00598327