By Dustin Wright, PCI Staff
During the 20th century, medical advancements helped take the offensive against the polio virus, which has plagued and crippled people since the days when Egyptian pharaohs were erecting pyramids. The polio vaccine made its debut in 1955 and was soon distributed in an oral form which made administration of the vaccine easier. People in even the most remote regions were receiving the life-saving treatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the last remaining polio endemic countries are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and India, with the later having the highest number of confirmed cases. Already in 2008, India has confirmed 82 new cases of polio, adding to the 864 cases the country logged last year. The second highest endemic country, Nigeria, has confirmed 18 cases this year, with 286 reported last year.
Obviously, poverty and poor education are main factors that contribute to the tenacity of the virus in these countries. In Nigeria, for example, some Muslim communities have resisted polio vaccination because of the belief that Western countries are using the vaccine to inject Muslims with chemicals that will reduce their fertility or infect them with HIV/AIDS.
War and conflict aren’t helping things either, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and even non-endemic countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.
With the largest number of infections, India is the focus of many eradication campaigns. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh experienced a polio outbreak last year and PCI India responded by increasing its presence in the region. Volunteers were dispatched door to door to ensure that local families were taking part in available immunizations. Community leaders were contacted to spread the word and local mosques made announcements. After a century of technological advancements in the fight against polio, spreading the word may well be the weapon that ends the war.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the last remaining polio endemic countries are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria, and India, with the later having the highest number of confirmed cases. Already in 2008, India has confirmed 82 new cases of polio, adding to the 864 cases the country logged last year. The second highest endemic country, Nigeria, has confirmed 18 cases this year, with 286 reported last year.
Obviously, poverty and poor education are main factors that contribute to the tenacity of the virus in these countries. In Nigeria, for example, some Muslim communities have resisted polio vaccination because of the belief that Western countries are using the vaccine to inject Muslims with chemicals that will reduce their fertility or infect them with HIV/AIDS.
War and conflict aren’t helping things either, especially in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and even non-endemic countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad.
With the largest number of infections, India is the focus of many eradication campaigns. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh experienced a polio outbreak last year and PCI India responded by increasing its presence in the region. Volunteers were dispatched door to door to ensure that local families were taking part in available immunizations. Community leaders were contacted to spread the word and local mosques made announcements. After a century of technological advancements in the fight against polio, spreading the word may well be the weapon that ends the war.
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