Akhil Iyer now leads UNICEF”s global polio eradication effort; he’s spent most of his three-decade career fight polio. He acknowledges that ending polio has proven more difficult than hoped and expected, but he remains optimistic about eradication.
Akhil also shared his thoughts on vaccine safety, noting that millions of people are alive because of vaccines. Speaking to Rotarians who may be concerned about vaccine safety or effectiveness, he said there are millions of children who are not paralyzed today precisely because they have been vaccinated.
Learning from heading up the polio fight in Afghanistan, his last assignment, Akhil remains convinced that we can eradicate polio even there. He notes that the Taliban–nervous about vaccinations for a variety of reasons–has been willing to accommodate vaccination campaigns.
Be sure to watch the full interview with Akhil from the World Polio Day event hosted by Rotary with help from UNICEF and the other GPEI partners in the player at the top of…