March 29, 2024 20:26 (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
PM Modi to kickstart BJP's Lok Sabha poll campaign from Meerut | Kangana Ranaut in Mandi: 'Don't think I am a heroine, consider me as your sister and daughter' | Mayawati, Akhilesh Yadav demand high-level probe into Mukhtar Ansari's death | PM Modi has mastered art of manipulating democracy, hurting Constitution: Mallikarjun Kharge | Mafia-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari dies of cardiac arrest at 63
Eradication of polio 'once and for all' within reach – UN health agency

Eradication of polio 'once and for all' within reach – UN health agency

India Blooms News Service | | 25 Oct 2017, 04:17 am
New York, Oct 25(Just Earth News): Despite progress towards global eradication of polio, sustained commitment is needed to overcome the final hurdle and stamp out the disease once and for all, the United Nations health agency said on Tuesday, the World Polio Day.

“So far in 2017, a total of 12 cases of polio had been reported, in two countries, fewer cases than ever before [and] innovative methods have put eradication within reach,” Christian Lindmeier, a spokesperson for the World Health Organization told journalists at the regular news briefing at the UN Office in Geneva.

On Tuesday, only three endemic countries remained affected by the disease Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

“Challenges remain, especially in these polio-endemic countries [and] sustained commitment is needed to overcome those challenges and eradicate polio once and for all,” added Lindmeier.

Polio – a debilitating disease which mainly affects young children – is caused by a virus that is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (such as contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis.

The disease has no cure, but can be prevented by immunization.

In the past year, over 400 million children around the world received the polio vaccination, giving them vital protection against the disease.

Photo: IRIN/Aminu Abubakar

Source: www.justearthnews.com

 

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.