We cannot rest until polio has been eradicated forever, says Dorothy-Anne Howitson, polio survivor.
“As a polio survivor, I cannot bear to think that anyone should get this preventable virus which changes your life forever,” Howitson says.
With October being Polio Awareness Month and Monday (24/10) World Polio Day, questions and concerns are raised if South Africa is on track with the polio immunisation programme.
If samples of the polio-virus showed up in London and New York, what are the chances that the same could occur in Kimberley?
Are such tests done?
This was announced after a child in Mozambique was diagnosed with polio when experiencing paralysis. In February a similar case was reported in Malawi.
Furthermore, the WHO stated that in 2021, six known cases of children paralyzed by polio were reported.
So far in 2022, the number of children paralyzed by polio has risen to 29.
Polio can be a serious infection, caused by a virus which spreads easily through contact with the faeces of an infected person or, less commonly, through droplets when they cough or sneeze.
It mostly affects children who are under five years old.
The majority of persons with the infection show no symptoms but instead feel like they have the flu, showcasing common symptoms such as a high temperature, sore throat, headache, stomach pain, aching muscles and feeling sick.
A small number of infected persons develop more serious problems where polio attacks the nervous system.
This causes paralysis, usually of the legs.
This is usually not permanent and movement often comes back, albeit gradually.
It can, however, be life-threatening – particularly if paralysis affects muscles used for breathing.
To prevent polio, the first polio drops are given to a baby at birth; and thereafter the child receives two more doses before the age of six.
Globally, 83% of infants had received three doses of polio vaccine in 2020, according to the WHO.
Recently small samples of the polio virus have been detected in sewage surveillance in London, New York, Malawi, Madagascar and Jerusalem.
Furthermore, there is an outcry for more awareness and education programmes for doctors and nurses to bring them up to speed on polio.
It is said that many polio survivors and their families have endured bad experiences within the medical profession due to a lack of awareness.
Also, it was found that the public is uneducated in matters regarding polio, and its effect on a person. Sadly, many believe polio no longer exists.
