Ukraine: Polio

(asked on 14th March 2022) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help tackle the Polio outbreak in Ukraine; and what assessment she has made of the risk of outbreaks of that disease in neighbouring countries.


Answered by
James Cleverly Portrait
James Cleverly
Home Secretary
This question was answered on 22nd March 2022

The UK is a strong supporter of the global efforts to eradicate polio. Over the last 25 years we have contributed £1.37 billion in funding to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), we have provided technical guidance and we have used our influence to ensure polio eradication remains a major focus of the world's governments. The UK's funding to GPEI is unearmarked, which allows them to respond rapidly to situations such as that currently ongoing in Ukraine.

We are monitoring the polio situation in Ukraine carefully and engaging closely with GPEI to ensure that their response considers the risks to neighbouring countries. Currently GPEI are deploying surge staff to the region and have reached out to neighbouring countries to encourage and support the rapid identification and response to cases, through for example, strengthened surveillance, updating the preparedness plans and improving immunization coverage at subnational levels in local and refugee populations.

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