Poliomyelitis disease is no longer present in the Philippines. From the first cases, the health authorities set up an effective vaccination campaign among children.
- After the appearance of several cases of poliomyelitis in the Philippines in 2019, this disease is completely eradicated from the country.
- The health authorities have implemented a vaccination campaign. Thus, 80% of children who were not vaccinated are now.
According to’World Health Organization (WHO), poliomyelitis has been eradicated in the Philippines. In September 2019, the first cases of this disease were recorded, whereas there had not been any for almost twenty years in the country. A total of 17 adults were infected.
5 to 10% of people with poliomyelitis die from asphyxiation
Poliomyelitis is a highly contagious disease caused by poliovirus, a virus that invades the nervous system. This disease is characterized by paralysis – often irreversible – of the motor muscles of the limbs and, sometimes, of the respiratory muscles. According to’Pastor Institute, if no palliative measure is implemented, between 5 and 10% of paralyzed patients die of asphyxiation due to paralysis of the muscles providing ventilation. However, since the development of effective vaccines and, above all, compulsory vaccination in many countries, poliomyelitis has completely disappeared from the Western world.
A vaccination campaign for all children
As soon as the new cases were reported, the Philippine government immediately launched a vaccination campaign for all children who were not. 80% of them were finally vaccinated. “This is a major victory for public health and an excellent example of what collective efforts can achieve, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. points out Rabindra Abeyasinghe, WHO representative in the Philippines, in a WHO press release. Ending the polio epidemic is the direct result of strong political will and government leadership, the mobilization and commitment of resources and communities, the courage and commitment of health and frontline, and the combined and coordinated efforts of local governments and partners”.
Vaccination against Covid-19: the other challenge for the Philippine government
“The success of polio vaccination in the Philippines is proof that when we come together for children, great things happenexplains Oyunsaikhan Dendevnorov, the representative of UNICEF in the Philippines, in the same press release. We must maintain momentum and accelerate vaccination to protect essential child health care while rolling out Covid-19 vaccines to priority groups”. Indeed, the other challenge for the country’s health authorities is to succeed in the vaccination campaign against Covid-19. So far, only 1.6 million people have received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine. This figure represents just over 1% of the population.
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