Bill > HRes81

This resolution commends the ongoing global efforts to eradicate wild poliovirus, highlighting the significant progress made since 1988 through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a partnership involving the U.S. government, Rotary International, the Gates Foundation, and GAVI. The resolution notes that polio cases have dramatically decreased from over 350,000 annually in 1988 to only occurring in Afghanistan and Pakistan as of September 2024, representing a 99.9 percent reduction in incidence. The document emphasizes the critical achievements of vaccination efforts, including the prevention of an estimated 20 million cases of paralysis and 1.5 million deaths worldwide, and recognizes that the GPEI has not only combated polio but also served as first responders during other public health crises like Ebola and COVID-19. The resolution specifically commends the work that has kept the Americas polio-free, supports the GPEI's goals, encourages continued international commitment to polio eradication, and calls for continued U.S. government funding. The resolution also underscores that if successful, polio eradication would only be the second human disease eliminated in history, following smallpox, and that as long as poliovirus circulates anywhere, it remains a global threat.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-resolution/81/all-info