What it's like to live with polio

a reply to: ChiefD

I just read this and I came here to share, I think it's awesome news:

A Milestone in Africa: No Polio Cases in a Year.

It has been one full year since polio was detected anywhere in Africa, a significant milestone in global health that has left health experts around the world quietly celebrating.

The goal had seemed tantalizingly close in recent years, but polio always managed to roar back, particularly in Nigeria. Then officials embraced a vigorous new approach to vaccination and surveillance in that country, hiring thousands of community “mobilizers” to track down the unvaccinated, opening operations centers nationwide to monitor progress and seeking out support from clerics and tribal chiefs.

The result has been remarkable.

The last African case of polio was detected in Somalia on Aug. 11, 2014, the final sign of an outbreak with its roots in Nigeria — the one country where the virus had never been eradicated, even temporarily. But the last case in Nigeria was recorded on July 24, 2014.

“This is a big success, but it’s still fragile,” said Dr. Hamid Jafari, the initiative’s World Health Organization director. “There’s always a worry that there could be an undetected case in a population you’re not reaching.”

When the global polio eradication drive began in 1988, more than 350,000 children around the world were paralyzed by the virus each year. Last year, only 359 were.

The whole article here: www.nytimes.com...

I love it when facts and statistics show how great our medical advances are, despite what many believe.

a reply to: ChiefD

From a UK newspaper:

Grandmother with post polio syndrome walked into sea so she wouldn't be a burden, inquest told.
A much loved grandmother who suffered from a little-known condition took her own life to avoid becoming a burden to her family, an inquest heard.

Sandy Glyn's health had deteriorated rapidly in the months before she drowned due to Post Polio Syndrome (PPS), Dorset coroner Sheriff Payne was told.

The 62-year-old went missing from her Southbourne home on Monday February 16, leaving a "very thoughtful and caring note" for her family.

POST Polio Syndrome (PPS) is a neurological condition that can occur in people who have had polio. Around 120,000 people in the UK are affected. After a long time without any significant change in their condition, people may develop new symptoms of increasing weakness, stamina problems, fatigue and pain.


PPS can occur at any age and may affect more women than men. People who have had fatigue or pain in the years since they contracted polio, or where physical activity has caused extreme tiredness and pain, seem to be at increased risk of developing PPS, or may already be experiencing it.

www.bournemouthecho.co.uk...=fbpg /

Unfortunately for this lovely lady the vaccine was not available in the 50s when she was a child.
May her soul rest in peace ♥

a reply to: Agartha

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