In a busy news week, an important issue has been in the headlines: the fight against polio.
The world is closer than ever to ending polio – the number of cases has dropped by more than 99 percent in the past 25 years – but we’re not there yet. A recent outbreak in Somalia and Kenya serves as a reminder about how fast the disease can spread. The international community has a plan to eradicate the disease in the next six years, but we need to keep polio on the global agenda to get there. Read more about polio in our news roundup and share this post to help us raise awareness of the urgent need to end this crippling disease for good.
- NPR covers the polio outbreak in Somalia. After approximately six years without any new polio cases, Somalia now has more new cases than any other country this year. NPR examines the reasons for the outbreak and chronicles the international community’s emergency response efforts.
- UN Foundation press fellow Amy Jeter chronicles the fight against polio from “1950 Virginia to 2013 India” in two stories, here and here, for The Virginian-Pilot. Jeter recently traveled to India, which has been polio-free for two years, to learn about the country’s campaign against the disease. She brings this story closer to home by comparing it with the struggle of Wytheville, Virginia to deal with polio in 1950.
- The New York Times reports on Pakistan’s effort to end polio in the country. Pakistan is one of only three remaining countries where polio remains endemic, making its efforts critical to stopping polio globally. The article chronicles the on-the-ground, heroic work to vaccinate children in challenging environments that include security risks and mistrust.
- The Toronto Star runs firsthand stories of people affected by polio. An elderly man recalls the months he spent in the hospital with polio. A son reflects on the mother he lost to the disease. These are just a few of the personal stories readers share about their experiences with polio in this powerful piece.