Russia fulfils its commitments to World Health Organisation in combating poliomyelitis

The Russian Federation has transferred one million dollars to the World Health Organisation (WHO) to finance the Global Initiative to Combat Poliomyelitis, says the press release of the Russian Finance Ministry which RIA Novosti received on Tuesday.

The agreement between the Russian Federation and the WHO on Russia's granting four million dollars in 2003-2005 to finance this action on combating poliomyelitis was signed on October 3, 2003.

The decision to fully do away with poliomyelitis in the world was adopted in 1998. The United States, the industrialised countries, international humanitarian organisations and big international corporations are the main donors of this initiative. The WHO, which ensures strategic planning, technical supervision and coordination of actions within the framework of the initiative, plays the main role in implementing the programme.

In 1998, when the initiative started to be carried out, more than 350,000 poliomyelitis cases were registered in 125 countries. Since then, serious results have been achieved: in 2002, the number of poliomyelitis cases stood to 1,919, ninety-nine percent of which were registered in India, Nigeria and Pakistan. However, the virus may re-appear also in other countries because of a smaller number of additional measures on immunisation.