Reprinted with permission from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Blog. Original blog post can be found here.
By: Dr. Ciro de Quadros
As we begin another year in the battle against polio, I am optimistic that eliminating this disease from the face of the planet is within our reach. Over the last 30 years, global health efforts have pushed polio to the brink, reducing its prevalence by 99 percent. Thanks to these efforts, the disease remains endemic in only a handful of countries, yet steep challenges remain as we work toward eradication.
Within four countries – India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan – polio has proven to be a persistent foe, continuing to paralyze and take the lives of young children despite our best efforts. And as long as the disease remains, so does the threat of outbreaks, which can quickly spread across continents.
Just last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of poliovirus – imported from India – in Tajikistan, a country that had been certified polio-free since 2002. A similar Indian strain caused 201 cases of paralysis and 104 deaths in the Congo, causing health officials to scramble to re-vaccinate the entire population. Similar outbreaks occurred last year in Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
» Read more: Eliminating Polio is within Our Reach
