“Working together we can make sure that each child is immunized and thus protected from polio,” said US Ambassador Norland about USAID support for Uzbekistan’s national campaign.

Polio mostly affects children under the age of six and can result in lifelong paralysis or death. Vaccination is the only way to prevent contracting this dangerous disease. Since 2002, the entire WHO European region, including Uzbekistan, was certified as polio free. Since that time, Uzbekistan -- due to strong vaccination coverage -- was able to maintain this status.

National polio vaccination campaigns have been launched in all five Central Asian countries in response to the sudden polio outbreak. The epicenter of the outbreak was found in Tajikistan. As of early June, there were nearly 600 suspected cases of polio in the region. This is the first polio outbreak in Central Asia since 2002, and one of the largest outbreaks worldwide in recent years.

To prevent the spread of polio, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health is conducting two rounds of an immunization campaign for all children under age five in close cooperation with WHO and UNICEF and with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Rotary International. USAID is providing a total of $370,000 to WHO for monitoring and technical assistance and to UNICEF for community mobilization activities.

The United States, through USAID, is one of the major supporters of the fight against polio in the region, pledging $1.2 million to support polio immunization campaigns and surveillance throughout Central Asia.

USAID’s polio immunization program is one of the many assistance projects the American people support in Uzbekistan. USAID’s assistance also spans the country’s agricultural sector, education and health care systems, and local governance structures.