It is no news that Africa has undergone many disasters, including famine and several widespread polio cases all over the African region. The spread of polio cases first began in the year 2000. The rate of these cases kept soaring by every passing year, and by the time, it entered 2005, the cases took a massive spike and reached around 1200. The continent of Africa has now become completely free of this virus after extreme measures.
What are the effects of Poliovirus?
The people of Africa have been fighting this battle since the day it entered into their lives because of its deadly results. Poliovirus is a contagious virus that only attacks the children of age under 5. This virus causes severe infection in their spinal cords or breathing muscles of the child to which eventually results in extreme paralysis. With the help of several organizations, including the World Health Organization, the epidemic of Poliovirus in Africa was finally restrained, and the increased number of cases was reduced to just a few.
The role of WHO in the fight against poliovirus
While fighting the battle against the polio-stricken continent, the regional director of WHO Dr Matshidiso Moeti commented that “It’s been a momentous, massive undertaking, with amazing persistence and perseverance, coming in the face of moments when we thought we were just about there, then we’d have a reversal.” After 15 years of extreme struggle and fight against this virus, Africa was finally free from the shackles of Poliovirus. Similarly, many countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan, have yet to recover from this virus.
