The World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared, on August 25th, that polio has been eradicated (that is, it no longer exists) from the African continent. The last case of wild poliovirus infection in the region occurred four years ago.

The mass vaccination campaign in Africa, a joint effort of organizations, local governments, volunteers, and philanthropists (people who donate money to social causes), lasted 30 years and cost 19 billion dollars (around 106 billion reais). Health workers administered the oral vaccine to prevent the disease in churches, schools, and even public squares. It is estimated that 1.8 million new cases were avoided.

In 2003, the campaign came to a halt in a few places due to a rumour that the vaccine could harm children and would not protect them from the disease. Raising awareness was required to show that this was not true and to win over people’s trust.

“It is a formidable victory, a relief,” said Tunjui Funshuo, a member of the Rotary International committee that combats polio in Nigeria during an interview with the Agence France Presse news agency. “We launched this challenge 30 years ago, saying that I am happy is a euphemism [when you soften an expression]”, he added.

This does not mean that the disease has been eradicated everywhere in the world. Currently, two countries have new cases of polio – Pakistan (58 new cases in 2020) and Afghanistan (29 new cases).

What is polio?

It is a contagious disease caused by a virus. It attacks the spinal cord, an important part of the body responsible for coordination and reflexes. Some of those who were infected can no longer walk. Contagion takes place from person to person and is associated with areas that have poor hygiene or lack basic sanitation (such as sewage treatment). The virus mainly affects children under the age of five. In Brazil, the disease was eradicated in 1994.

Source: BBC, El País, EndPolio.org, New York Times, and O Globo.

Questions

1) Why was the vaccination campaign interrupted?

a) Because of a shortage of vaccines
b) Because doctors thought there was no solution for the disease in Africa
c) Because there were no hospitals to treat it
d) Because of a rumour against the vaccine

2) What do you think can be done to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination?

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