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Thursday, 22 September 2011
Page: 6826

Senator CROSSIN (Northern Territory) (12:47): I, and also on behalf Senators Moore, Boyce and Di Natale, move:

That the Senate—

   (a)   commends the efforts of successive Australian Governments, working with multilateral, non-government organisations such as Rotary International and other national governments, in wiping out polio in the Pacific and reducing the total number of polio cases worldwide by 99 per cent since 1988;

   (b)   congratulates the Australian Government for existing polio eradication efforts through its contribution to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation, the Afghanistan Polio Eradication Initiative and the United Nations Children's Fund [UNICEF];

   (c)   notes that polio remains endemic in four countries, Afghanistan, Nigeria, India and Pakistan, three of which are Commonwealth nations;

   (d)   recognises that in 2010, there were only 1 290 cases of polio worldwide, down from 350 000 cases in 1988, indicating the unprecedented opportunity the world has to eradicate polio once and for all;

   (e)   notes that the Global Polio Eradication Initiative currently faces a significant funding shortfall; and

   (f)   calls on the Australian Government to support efforts to deliver a polio-free world and to advocate for greater support for polio eradication efforts, including at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.

Question agreed to