In 1988, Rotary formally kicked off its PolioPlus program, in concert with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. UNICEF and the World Health Organization became the implementation partners in what became the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a unique collaboration in the world of global health.
About ten years ago, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation joined the partnership, committing its substantial resources to the fight. Already more than $1 billion in, the Gates Foundation maintains its commitment to see this through.
Suchita Guntakatta, deputy director of global development over polio eradication at the Gates Foundation, joined me to talk about the progress toward eradication and the Foundation’s commitment to see this through to the end.
Suchita joined me for this discussion at World Polio Day on October 24, 2018, at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, hosted by Rotary International. Be sure to watch the full interview in the player at the top of this article.
Interview …