Bill Gates Foundation Eradicates Polio From Africa In 2015

by Nancy Weirh | Woolwich

The campaign to kick Polio out of Africa was led by the World Health Organisation and Health professionals and political leaders from the continent geared up for the final push to wipe out the remaining pockets of polio on the continent.

Dr. Ebrahim M. Samba, Regional Director for Africa of the World Health Organization (WHO), was optimistic when he said: "Polio eradication by the year 2000 is within our grasp," adding "We are reaching levels of immunization that have never before been achieved in Africa."

Leaders such as former South African President, Nelson Mandela, led regional campaigns and with ambitious statements like: "We shall immunize every child in Africa to get rid of this terrible disease forever", set the tone for the long battle against Polio in Africa.

But it has been a long battle and the initial target to eradicate the disease from the continent by the year 2000 was missed.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Poliomyelitis, or Polio for short, is a disease that once struck across the world, each year paralyzing hundreds of thousands of children during the early years of their lives. Polio is a water borne disease, but it is also communicable through food.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Signs and symptoms of polio, which generally last one to 10 days, include: Fever, Sore throat, Headache, Vomiting, Fatigue, Back pain or stiffness, Neck pain or, stiffness, Pain or stiffness in the arms or legs.

In 2015 however, there has been good news. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has been actively involved in the push for the eradication of Polio from Africa has a cheering news - there has been no report of the disease, not even one.

It's about the power of vaccination and if you are convinced that vaccines work, Melinda Gates urges you to take a look at this shrinking Polio map (below) to see what is possible:

A statement on the Gate's Foundation's official website showed how the shrinking map of polio was achieved - revealing what is possible with concerted effort - marking a full year without a single new case.

Read the statement below:

[ "On July 24, Nigeria marked one full year without a single new case of locally acquired polio, the crippling and sometimes fatal disease. It is the last country in Africa to stop transmission of wild polio. This milestone represents a huge victory—one that some experts feared would never come."

"It required mapping every settlement in the north of the country, counting all the children in every house, delivering oral polio vaccine several times a year, working with hundreds of thousands of traditional leaders and community mobilizers, and operating in areas dominated by extremist groups. Nigeria’s efforts show that smart strategies can work even under the most difficult conditions."

"When the global campaign to eradicate polio began in 1988, polio was endemic in 125 countries. The list is now down to just two: Afghanistan and Pakistan. We’ve come more than 99 percent of the way to eradication. I am confident we can finish the job." ]

Considering that the above map showed the position of polio menace in the world in just 1988, 27 years of concerted effort, has indeed produced wonders.

So with the exception of Afghanistan and Pakistan, polio has been eradicated from 123 countries in 27 years.