By: Jennifer Segal
Today is Veteran’s Day! A day to honor U.S .veterans for their patriotism and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
Sabin Archive U Cincinnati
The Sabin Vaccine Institute was founded in honor of Dr. Albert Sabin, a renowned scientist and a great American veteran. Dr. Sabin was in the midst of his polio research in Ohio, when he joined the U.S. Army Epidemiological Board’s Virus Committee and accepted assignments all over the world at the start of World War II. During his time serving abroad, he developed vaccines for encephalitis (sleeping sickness), sand-fly fever, and dengue fever.
At the conclusion of World War II, Dr. Sabin returned to the United States to continue work on the polio virus. Shortly after his return, Sabin successfully created a polio vaccine that has nearly eradicated polio around the world . If only eradicating neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) was as easy as Sabin makes it appear to be for polio!
NTDs are a group of 13 parasitic and bacterial infections that affect over 1.4 billion people, most of whom live on less than $1.25 per day. NTDs stigmatize, disable, and inhibit individuals from being able to care for themselves or their families—all of which promote poverty. Up to 90% of the total NTD disease burden is found in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Sabin Archives at U Cincinnati
As we honor Dr. Sabin and all those who have served in the military to help the U.S. and other countries, we should be reminded that we can do the same. You do not have to go to war to be a hero. A donation of Just 50 Cents can provide an individual with treatment for the seven most common NTDs for an entire year. Saving a life can be as easy as emptying your pocket of change.