CDC: Protecting Americans Through Global Health – India
CDC works 24/7 to protect the American people from disease, including those that begin overseas. CDC has dedicated and caring experts in over 50 countries. They detect and control outbreaks at their source, saving lives and reducing healthcare costs.
Transcript
WOMAN: CDC is helping India develop a strong public health system. CDC plays a leading role in polio eradication in India and around the world. Polio is highly contagious. Invading the nervous system, it can cause paralysis in just a few hours. DR. JAFARI: India has been the largest polio virus reservoir in the world for thousands of years. And it has been a major exporter of polio virus to many countries around the world. These are the hot spots for polio. These are the places where polio virus, measles virus, and other infectious diseases thrive, given the open sewage systems, the density of the population, high birth rate. Here, infectious diseases take root, spread, and then they’re only a flight away from getting into the United States. So controlling these diseases right here at the source is the best way to protect these children, as well as the rest of the world. WOMAN: Since 1988, when CDC and partners like Rotary International launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, cases have dropped by approximately 99% worldwide. In India between 2009 and 2010, cases dropped by 94%. In 2011, there was only one reported case of polio in India. CDC helps Indians reach kids who are forced to migrate. Mass polio vaccinations are being done at borders, railway stations, and highway interchanges. CDC’s global health activities protect Americans at home and save lives abroad. They reduce the need for U.S. assistance and create goodwill and good relationships with global neighbors.
