$635 Million Pledged To Fight Polio

Private and government sources are donating another $635 million to try to wipe out polio in the world. They hope to finish in the next five years. The private money will come from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Rotary International. The governments of Germany and the United Kingdom also will contribute. The 20-year campaign has reduced polio cases by 99%. But cases still occur in more than a dozen countries in Africa and Asia. War, politics and the nature of the disease have hindered efforts to wipe it out. The Washington Post wrote about the campaign January 22. The Associated Press wrote about it January 21.