Costs and benefits of polio eradication: a long-run global perspective

Pre-vaccination polio incidence rates in USA and Italy were used to predict the cases that would have occurred in the world for the years 1970-2050 in the absence of immunization. Globally, polio program will cost about S 67 billion if vaccination is discontinued after 2010. The medical care cost savings achieved will be more than $ 128 billions, implying that polio eradication activities actually pay for itself in the longer run. In addition to the cost savings, the program will prevent 855,000 deaths, 4 million paralysis cases and 40 million disability adjusted life years (DALYs) over the years 1970-2050. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.