World Polio Day 2016 is often an opportunity to highlight the successes of global eradication programs and plan for the coming year. But in Australia, the occasion instead sparked concern over how a shrinking foreign aid budget will have an impact on eradication.
Cuts to Australia’s aid program will see funding to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative fall dramatically, from 15 million Australian dollars ($11.5 million) to AU$3 million in 2017.
Advocates gathering at a World Polio Day breakfast at Parliament House on Oct 19, hosted by Global Citizen, RESULTS Australia, UNICEF and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, made their case to maintain funding levels.
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About the author
Lisa Cornishlisa_cornish
Lisa Cornish is a former Devex Senior Reporter based in Canberra, where she focuses on the Australian aid community. Lisa has worked with News Corp Australia as a data journalist and has been published throughout Australia in the Daily Telegraph in Melbourne, Herald Sun in Melbourne, Courier-Mail in Brisbane, and online through news.com.au. Lisa additionally consults with Australian government providing data analytics, reporting and visualization services.
