Eradicate Polio in 2014

Michael Sheldrick, Global Policy and Advocacy Manager with the Global Poverty Project and RESULTS' February conference call guest speaker.

Did you know that Polio could be eradicated by 2014 and the world could be certified polio-free by 2018? This is an opportunity that cannot be missed!

Polio is a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that continues to affect children in some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world. Polio is preventable through vaccination and there are currently only three countries in the world where polio has never been stopped.

At present, unprecedented global efforts are delivering significant progress. One of Australia’s foremost advocates for the end of polio is Michael Sheldrick, Global Policy and Advocacy Manager with the Global Poverty Project . Michael currently coordinates The End of Polio campaign, which has helped mobilise more than $100 million in support of polio eradication efforts . Here, Michael shares his experience of campaigning for the end of polio; "It has now been two years since I first joined Global Poverty Project to head up its campaigning around polio. I would be lying if I said that in that time I haven't experienced those difficult times we all face as activists when people smear our cause and turn us away. But I've also had the opportunity to meet and be inspired by some of the most extraordinary individuals and activists who collectively form part of the largest non-violent army the world has ever seen. I've had the opportunity to participate in immunisation efforts in India and meet just a few of the thousands of health workers who have been at the very heart and soul of this effort. I've worked with a remarkable group of Pakistani student activists called the Bioreach Society who are taking it upon themselves to ensure a polio-free Pakistan.

Finally, I've met countless of activists - just like RESULTS members - in key donor countries like Australia who's unrelenting stream of letters, phone calls, petition signatures, flash mobs and emails have helped ensure polio eradication remains a priority for our nation's leaders. Together, all of these activists and volunteers are the real heroes of polio eradication and it has been a privilege to play just a small part in this amazing story of human endeavour that demonstrates the life-changing impact of our foreign aid dollars as well as progress in the broader struggle against extreme poverty.

For more information, please check out some of the following blogs by both myself and fellow activists:

• My experience in participating in a national immunisation campaign in India last year .

• The experiences of my friend, Fatima Riaz, in building a movement of passionate student activists in Pakistan .

• A message from one of my best mates, Akram Azimi, on why he is using his post as 2013 Young Australian of the Year to advocate for the end of polio ."

Michael Sheldrick is RESULTS’ guest speaker on our national conference call this month. Join us to learn more about how Australia through a growing aid budget can help to end polio for good, and how important it is that we ask our parliamentarians to support an increase in Australian aid. (Contact 100days@results.org.au on how to join our conference call.)