Effects of Polio on Society

Effects of Polio on Society

Polio had existed in society for a long time in history, although not as big a problem in history as in the 20th century, when greater emphasis was put on sanitation and children stopped getting the disease as babies. The effects of this disease on society were great. People feared that tomorrow they or their family members or friends would catch polio.

Although polio has been significantly reduced in numbers, it still continues to exist in Africa and some parts of Asia. People are still infected with polio, and there are still global initiatives for the eradication of polio. These initiatives are not very effective as recently, in Africa there has been a controversy in Kano, Nigeria, chaired by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero and Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, who have put a lid on the federal government's hope to get the people of Kano to use polio vaccines from the federal government.

Child receiving polio vaccine.

A child receives oral polio vaccine during a 2002 ...

Pays concernés par la poliomyelite pendant 2006 (...

The reason they are against the polio vaccine is that there were many contaminated vaccine being supplied there, and they do not want to risk the lives of several Kano children. Official Ezio Gianni Murzi said that while polio had nearly been eradicated globally, Nigeria had recorded an increase of 40% in cases so far in 2003 compared to 2002. Whatever the reason for this may be, at least three northern states have opposed the preventive measures against polio after Islamic leaders blamed the vaccines on being a secret US plan to depopulate Africa. Situations such as these are defering the goal of global polio eradication.

The eradication is still close to being achieved, as WHO estimates that new worldwide polio cases fell to just 3,200 in 1998. Reported cases of the disease have dropped by 90% in the last...