Proclamation No. 46: Launching of the Polio Eradication Project

REAFFIRMING THE COMMITMENT TO THE UNIVERSAL CHILD AND MOTHER IMMUNIZATION GOAL BY LAUNCHING THE POLIO ERADICATION PROJECT

WHEREAS, in 1988, the World Health Assembly adopted the goal of global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000;

WHEREAS, in 26 July 1990, the Philippines became the 31st country to ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC);

WHEREAS, in September 1990, heads of state and other world leaders, including the Philippines met the World Summit for Children resulting to the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection, and Development of Children and Plan of Action for implementing the World Declaration;

WHEREAS, this Declaration contained goals which include the global goal for the eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000;

WHEREAS, the Western Pacific Region of the World Health Organization (WHO) where the Philippines is a member country is committed to the eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 1995;

WHEREAS, the Philippines as a founding member of the United Nations reaffirms its commitment to the objectives of the World Health Organization particularly the goal of eradicating poliomyelitis and sustaining Universal Child and Mother Immunization (UCMI);

WHEREAS, in 1989 the Philippines attained the goal of Universal Child Immunization (UCI) and reaffirmed its commitment to child survival by sustaining this high immunization coverage of 86% Fully Immunized Child (FIC) nationwide in 1991.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FIDEL VALDEZ RAMOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby reaffirm the commitment of the Philippines to the Universal Child and Mother Immunization (UCMI) goal by launching the Philippine Poliomyelitis Eradication Project to achieve the goal of sustained UCMI and the ultimate eradication of the wild poliovirus from the Philippine environment by 1995.

To achieve this, I hereby order the Department of Health (DOH) to be the lead agency in overseeing this project. As such, the DOH will formulate the guidelines to assure success of this project. And the DOH may call on other government organizations and non-government agencies, including industries, for any assistance it will need.

I, therefore, call on all government and non-government agencies and every Filipino citizen, here and abroad, to join hands in making the Philippines “polio-free” by 1995.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affix seal of the Republic of the Philippines.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 16th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred and ninety-two.

(Sgd.) FIDEL V. RAMOS
President of the Philippines

By the President:

(Sgd) DIONISIO C. DELA SERNA
Sr. Deputy Executive Secretary

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