Voice of America Wins Cine Golden Eagle Award

Betty Berneman Barber Named Director of Marketing and  Program Placement for International Broadcasting Bureau

VOA Expands Broadcasting to Afghanistan

VOA Statement on Radio Kontynent

Additional News Releases

Washington, D.C., Jan.16, 2002 -- At the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Task Force on Immunization Conference held recently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the Voice of America (VOA) was commended for its assistance in the worldwide effort to eradicate polio. Representatives of the WHO, UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control, Rotary International, and USAID organizations all joined in lauding the work of VOA in ridding the globe of polio.

Jean-Marie Okowo-Bele, WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, said, "I would like...the TFI to recognize the important contribution the Voice of America is making to the eradication effort. They have produced and broadcast a substantial amount of programming over the past years. I constantly hear and see VOA’s polio programming everywhere I go...." 

Conference Chairman Dr. Francois Nkrumah added, "All of us should be grateful that VOA is with us and hope that they will continue their important contribution to polio eradication."

VOA, the only international broadcaster to cover global polio eradication efforts regularly, launched its Polio Eradication Initiative in 1997 with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to assist in the effort. Since then, VOA, has produced and broadcast over 3,000 news reports, features stories, promos and public service announcements. 

The Voice of America and WORLDNET TV extensively cover the global eradication effort, and have developed public service programming to mobilize adults to immunize children on the national immunization days and routinely throughout the year. Three VOA Divisions (South and Central Asia, Africa, and Middle East and North Africa) and 19 language services actively participate in the project. VOA reporters have traveled to nearly forty countries in these regions where polio is endemic. 

The Voice of America is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. Government. VOA broadcasts over 900 hours of news, informational, educational, and cultural programming every week to a worldwide audience of 91 million. Programs are produced and broadcast in English and 52 other languages.For additional information, please contact the Office of External Affairs at (202) 619-2538 or send email to pubaff@voa.gov.