WHO announces the disappearance of poliovirus in Africa

2020/08/26 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Etika
• Berdintasuna
• Medikuntza
• Farmakologia

The World Health Organization has stated that Africa is a territory free of poliovirus, four years after the last outbreaks in Nigeria. Thus, WHO has confirmed the disappearance of polio virus throughout Africa, so in the world there are only two countries that produce it: Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its eradication would also become the second disease eliminated by vaccines, the first marginal.

Poliovirus mainly affects children under 5 years of age. The infection is transmitted from the person to the middle area, especially through feces, and is closely related to poor sanitation and hygiene infrastructure. The virus affects the spinal cord and, in more severe cases, causes irreversible partial paralysis in the legs. It can also cause death.

In 1988 there were 350,000 cases worldwide and in 2013 there were 416. This decline has been achieved thanks to vaccination campaigns. The first polio vaccine was developed by Jonas Salk in the 1950s and, a few years later, Albert Sabin developed a verbal vaccine. It is a attenuated virus that needs to be applied several times for its effectiveness, but that generates permanent immunity. This vaccine is the same that has been used worldwide and is established in the vaccination schedule in Euskal Herria.