Polio is a crippling disease, having no cure but completely preventable, which can bring on muscle weakness in the legs, arms, neck and can have detrimental effect on, and in particular, a child’s ability to breath. The sight of the iron lung was a common sight in the 1950s in hospital wards, however thankfully now Polio is limited to a handful of countries and Polio efforts are now reaching previously inaccessible children, which opens the door to them benefiting from other global health and development resources.
24th October 2016 marks the annual Polio awareness day help eradicate this disease and the lesser known Post Polio Syndrome.
Since 1979 Rotary clubs have been involved in the fight against Polio and since the start of the Rotary flagship project PolioPlus programme in 1985 over $1.5 billion has been contributed to the fight against Polio and many Rotarians and volunteers have helped by donating time and money to help immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries.
Polio is a crippling disease, having no cure but completely preventable, which can bring on muscle weakness in the legs, arms, neck and can have detrimental effect on, and in particular, a child’s ability to breath. The sight of the iron lung was a common sight in the 1950s in hospital wards, however thankfully now Polio is limited to a handful of countries and Polio efforts are now reaching previously inaccessible children, which opens the door to them benefiting from other global health and development resources.
24th October 2016 marks the annual Polio awareness day help eradicate this disease and the lesser known Post Polio Syndrome.
Top 5 Reasons to Eradicate polio
- The human cost: If we choose to control polio rather than eradicate it, polio could rebound to 10 million cases in the next 40 years.
- It’s achievable: We have the tools to end polio and the means to reach all children. The new, bivalent vaccine successfully targets the two remaining strains of polio in one dose.
- It’s a good investment: An independent study published in the medical journal Vaccine estimates the $9 billion global investment in a polio-free world will net an economic benefit of $40 to 50 billion over the next 20 years.
- It strengthens the system: Our polio eradication efforts have established an active disease surveillance network in all countries that is being used for other health interventions such as measles vaccinations, deworming tablets, and mosquito bed nets.
- It sets the stage: The ability to reach all children with the polio vaccine is proof of concept that we can succeed on our next major global health initiative.
24th October 2016 marks the annual Polio awareness day help eradicate this disease and the lesser known Post Polio Syndrome.
www.endpolionow.org
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