The Global Eradication of Polio Essay -- Exploratory Essays Research P

The Global Eradication of Polio    The possibility of the eradication of polio worldwide is an imminent and exciting prospect as the "goal" year quickly approaches. In 1988, the World Health Assembly, which governs the World Health Organization, set the goal of eliminating polio from the world by the year 2010. Many organizations have joined the effort along with the World Health Organization: the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, Rotary International, Global Health Network, the US Agency for International Development, National Immunization Day, and the International Broadcasting Bureau. Together, these "worldwide polio partners" have implemented a strategy to completely rid the world of this disease. It is a difficult task, one which must be thorough and all-encompassing, covering all people in all countries, even those industrialized countries such as the United States where polio has already been successfully eliminated (Reuters 1998). The disease poliomyelitis is caused by "three serotypes of poliovirus" (Prevots 1999). It can manifest itself with a range of characteristics, from flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, pain in the limbs and stiffness in the neck, to various levels of paralysis, and death. Poliovirus can be passed along from person to person through fecal-oral transmission, and any contaminated object can spread the virus. This is why polio is prevalent today in areas with very poor sanitation. Another source of transmission in any environment is the young children in diapers. The World Health Organization states: * The disease circulates "silently" at first, and may infect hundreds of people, depending on the level of sanitation, before the first c... ...e year 2010 is not achieved.    WORKS CITED "The Beginning of the End: Target 2010. The World Without Polio." World Health Organization. 1999. "Five Steps to Ridding the World of Polio. Rotary International. 1999. Prevots, Rebecca D., PhD, MPH. et al. Chapter X from the Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Diseases: Poliomyelitis (CDC). Stemrich Associates: 1999. Sharma, Ashok. "India Unlikely to Eradicate Polio by 2010." Associated Press. January 1999. "Worldwide Eradication of Polio by 2010 Still Possible." Reuters. September 1998.