A new investment case shows that successful polio transition in the 8 priority countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region will have a very high return on investment. Economic and social benefits totaling an estimated US$ 289.2 billion arise from sustaining polio assets and integrating them into expanded immunization, surveillance and emergency response programmes in 8 countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the study reveals.

As the present cost of this work is US$ 7.5 billion, this means that for every dollar spent, the return on investment is nearly US$ 39. WHO commissioned the Victoria Institute of Strategic Economic Studies, Australia, to conduct the study, which is the first of its kind. It covers 8 polio transition priority countries in the Region: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Many of these countries are fragile, with challenges ranging from weak health systems and low routine vaccination coverage to political instability.