Big victory in Nigeria. The WHO has just declared that polio is no longer endemic in the country. But two countries are still problematic: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- WHO just declared Nigeria no longer a polio endemic country
- Since 1988, the number of cases has decreased by 99% worldwide
- Pakistan and Afghanistan remain important hotspots for the spread of the virus. If this problem is not resolved, 200,000 cases could emerge over ten years.
This is a big step forward for Nigeria. This large country in the Gulf of Guinea has just been removed by the World Health Organization (WHO) from the list of countries where the polio virus is endemic.
This means that no cases have been reported in a year. To be declared completely free from the virus, the country will nevertheless have to experience three full years without any new cases.
Vaccination campaigns
Polio is a very contagious viral infection which particularly affects children. The virus is transmitted in contaminated water or food and attacks the nervous system. In some cases, this can lead to paralysis.
Huge progress has been made, in particular thanks to to the WHO 2013-2018 action plan which plans to eradicate the wild form of the virus, as well as circulating polioviruses derived from vaccine strains. Since 1988, the number of cases has decreased by 99%.
Its large-scale vaccination campaigns in many countries in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East most affected by the phenomenon, have also borne fruit. India, for example, was declared completely free from polio a year ago.
There is indeed an effective vaccine given in drops, but which caused side effects. It is gradually being replaced by a much safer and just as effective injection.
More blockages
In Nigeria, the battle against polio has been particularly difficult to win. The advances of the terrorist group Boko Haram have displaced thousands of people, making the work of doctors and the monitoring of families more complicated.
In addition, vaccination suffered from misconceptions. Many people, especially in northern parts of Nigeria, believed that vaccines were poisoned gifts from the West, and that they could make them sterile. For this reason, some parents have long resisted vaccination for their children. In 2013, nine volunteers, who were participating in a vaccination campaign, were even killed.
There are now only two countries left in the world where polio is endemic: Afghanistan and Pakistan. There, opponents still fiercely protest against vaccines. According to the WHO, the failure of the campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan could lead to more than 200,000 new cases over the next ten years.
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