Poliomyelitis simply known as Polio is caused by an RNA virus of genus Enterovirus known as poliovirus. It is transmitted feco-orally(from infected feaces to mouth) and could progress to Acute flaccid paralysis of the limbs especially in children.
Polio has been a complete menace to the world since the 1950s; ravaging and terrorizing the lives of affected individuals in endemic areas. At least, not until it was made a global concern by the WHO declaring the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (when a hike of 360,000 cases were reported in 1988), to totally kick Polio out of the world that significant improvements were made.
Nigeria had her Last case of Polio on July 24th 2014, having only 6 reported cases of Polio over 2014, there has been no reported case of Polio since 2015. Thus, strengthening the audacious hope of Nigeria of been declared a Polio-free country on/before the year 2018.
Having made significant improvement by eliminating Polio by more than 90% from a previous status of 118 cases of wild Polio Virus(WPV) in 2012, out of 223 cases worldwide with the rest shared between Afghanistan and Pakistan (of which Pakistan enjoys the lion share since India ran away from the “PAIN” Nations in 2011 leaving behind the “PAN” Nations) to only 6 cases in 2014, out of 359 cases worldwide and no single case this 2015, all in her bid to truly kick Polio out of the country.
Note that Nigeria still remains one of the three Polio endemic countries (PAN nations) by WHO.
Efforts to pull out of “PAN” seem as if it will be rubbished in the nearest future if the recently suspected case of Polio in the south is proven to be true. This however is much surprise to the interested Public and Analyst fellows of Polio in Nigeria because the North has remained the major cause of concern in issues of Poliomyelitis in Nigeria rather than the south.
This, majorly is due to insecurity in the North and their refusal to be vaccinated; with the caution that the westerners would use this means to introduce diseases like HIV/AIDS into their system.
Many health workers have been killed in their bid to achieve herd immunity due the current state of insecurity in the North and their agitation over Polio Vaccine.
Though fecal test results of the suspected case had proved negative, the WHO warranted a Polio Vaccination Surveillance over the affected community and its environs. And some sources have it that paralysis of the child’s case was not due to Polio as earlier feared to be, but as a result of a wrongly administered Malaria injection that affected the motor nerves of the child’s lower limb (sensory innervation was found to be intact as the Child responded to pain and pinprick stimulations). Not certain how true this might be.
Nevertheless, it’s better not to leave any stone unscathed, as it could turn out to be the ultimate traitor. Even a single case means a lot to be concerned for, because much success has been achieved in recent times than ever before and Nigeria been the Giant of Africa which she has purported herself to be, can not afford to loose her ground in this regard. As Studies have it that:
for each reported case of Paralytic Polio caused by wild Polio virus, an estimated number of 200 to 300 other contagious asymptomatic carriers exist.
ADVICE FOR PARENTS AND GUARDIANS: make sure your child/ward is vaccinated with Oral Polio Vaccine; its like, to build up the child’s immunity against this dreadful virus which is a respecter of no one. It occurs in males alike females, rich alike poor.
By helping to fulfill this obligation of ensuring immunity on an individual level, a herd immunity could be built on a community level, State and National level, and ultimately contributing in no small way as a big boost to kicking Polio out of the world.
Information they say is power but becomes useless when not utilized. Play your part today and advice your neighbour to do the same.
References:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/306440-overview#a5
http://www.polioeradication.org/dataandmonitoring/poliothisweek.aspx
