Rotary, UNICEF, WHO, Gates, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)- the government-funded arm in polio eradication

Dr. Cochi, M.D., MPH, is more than just a specialist- he's written or co-written 100 scientific journal articles, letters, and book chapters on public health, specifically vaccines and vaccine-preventable diseases, and 140 CDC publications. That's been over his 20+ years at CDC, specializing in the field of immunization. Dr. Cochi runs the CDC's global immunizations activities, including polio eradication.

That's dedication.

Dr. Cochi brings a little history to this conversation. He tells us that similar to the negotiations taking place in Afghanistan today between Taliban leaders and the health community (to hold a ceasefire for immunization), El Salvador, in the midst of violence and civil unrest in the 1980s, had to coordinate 'peace days' to conduct public health campaigns. Although these ceasefires have helped health workers reach the unreachable in southern Afghanistan, a decentralized Taliban structure complicates matters- negotiations made with Taliban leaders don't always trickle down to the local level.

Plus, he gives a quick update on what's taking place in the labs- a bivalent vaccine is likely to debut in fall/winter of '09. That will attack two strains of polio- P1 and P3. It'll make its debut in northern India.

And he warns us that polio can pop up in the industrialized world- that's why it's important to wipe it out- NOW.

In fact, recently, a man of Pakistani descent appeared in an Australian hospital with polio-like symptoms. Most likely, the result of trip home. And a strain of the polio virus was found in the sewage in Geneva- probably from a health official at WHO who visited one of the endemic nations. So, the virus isn't sitting idle.

And that's why Dr. Cochi is thrilled to have Congress' support and the president's attention on this vital issue. Polio eradication is STILL important- even 20 years into this fight.

To learn more about CDC's role in polio eradication, visit: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/polio/global.htm