Infectious Diseases: Analysis of Eradication or Elimination Estimates

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the World Health Organization's (WHO) estimates for eradicating or eliminating seven infectious diseases--dracunculiasis, polio, leprosy, measles, onchoceriasis, Chagas' disease, and lymphatic filariasis--worldwide, focusing on: (1) the soundness of WHO's cost and timeframe estimates; (2) U.S. spending related to these diseases in fiscal year 1997 and any potential cost savings to the United States as a result of eradication or elimination; (3) other diseases that international health experts believe pose a risk to Americans and could be eventual candidates for eradication; and (4) U.S. costs and savings from smallpox eradication and whether experts view smallpox eradication as a model for other diseases.