Africa Eradicates Wild Polio in Remarkable Milestone

[Debater Slayer]

Africa has finally triumphed over the wild poliovirus in a remarkable milestone for the region:

Africa has been declared free from wild polio by the independent body, the Africa Regional Certification Commission.

Polio usually affects children under five, sometimes leading to irreversible paralysis. Death can occur when breathing muscles are affected.

Twenty-five years ago thousands of children in Africa were paralysed by the virus.

The disease is now only found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

There is no cure but the polio vaccine protects children for life.

Nigeria is the last African country to be declared free from wild polio, having accounted for more than half of all global cases less than a decade ago.

The vaccination campaign in Nigeria involved a huge effort to reach remote and dangerous places under threat from militant violence and some health workers were killed in the process.

This is what vaccination is capable of. Conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific fearmongering, on the other hand, have contributed absolutely nothing of value to human health and well-being.

Scientific progress in the medical field marches on regardless of ill-informed armchair theorycrafting and misconceptions. Kudos to each and every single healthcare worker who made this possible, especially those working in life-threatening conditions.

 

[Revoltingest]

Congrats, Africa!
Polio sucks...I remember the scare here.

 

[sun rise]

Congratulations to all who worked so diligently to make this happen.

And I echo the pro-science, pro-truth sentiment of the OP.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Another point for science and medicine!
Another demarit of disgraceful conspiracies that would rather see this wonderful achievement never made because vaccines are the devil. Shame on them. Real medicine works, here is the proof.

 

[BSM1]

Congrats, Africa!
Polio sucks...I remember the scare here.

My parents only had to threaten me once with an "Iron Lung" and I wised right up...

 

[ChristineM]

Vaccines work, well done Africa

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Vaccines work, well done Africa

You know, I'm beginning to think that the reason that so many people make so many false assumptions about medical progress, including vaccinations, is that unlike most of the 19th and 20th centuries, people now primarily get their "news" through social media. And really, it ought to be pretty clear by now just how wrong social media can be on any number of topics.

Before the modern age, as well, most information came from social networks, as there were no real newspapers or media, with good reporting protocols, to inform ordinary people about the goings on in the world. So local "knowledge," of whatever value, was pretty much all there was.

I grew up primarily reading newspapers, and I still read 3 every day (to get different political viewpoints in the op-ed pages, mostly). I like that newspapers often provide more depth-of-coverage for news stories than radio or television.

So I've always been a believe in vaccines, and echo what others are saying -- "Well done, Africa!"

 

[lewisnotmiller]

You know, I'm beginning to think that the reason that so many people make so many false assumptions about medical progress, including vaccinations, is that unlike most of the 19th and 20th centuries, people now primarily get their "news" through social media. And really, it ought to be pretty clear by now just how wrong social media can be on any number of topics.

Before the modern age, as well, most information came from social networks, as there were no real newspapers or media, with good reporting protocols, to inform ordinary people about the goings on in the world. So local "knowledge," of whatever value, was pretty much all there was.

I grew up primarily reading newspapers, and I still read 3 every day (to get different political viewpoints in the op-ed pages, mostly). I like that newspapers often provide more depth-of-coverage for news stories than radio or television.

So I've always been a believe in vaccines, and echo what others are saying -- "Well done, Africa!"

This kinda rings true. I've spent a lot more time of late trying to find either unbiased/balanced media sources, or sources which are credible but lean a little right. My natural lean is a little left (socially at least), so that's my attempt at balanced information sourcing...lol

The sources have moved from physical newspapers to online journalism, which has taken me a bit of getting used to, but I do think the ability of people to cherry pick biased sources and live in an echo chamber is greater now than it has been in a long, long time.

 

[Revoltingest]

My parents only had to threaten me once with an "Iron Lung" and I wised right up...

What did you do?
(Kids today prolly think "Iron Lung" is a superhero.)

 

[icehorse]

This is what vaccination is capable of. Conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific fearmongering, on the other hand, have contributed absolutely nothing of value to human health and well-being.

Scientific progress in the medical field marches on regardless of ill-informed armchair theorycrafting and misconceptions. Kudos to each and every single healthcare worker who made this possible, especially those working in life-threatening conditions.

I believe in the efficacy of vaccines. full stop.

I have a friend who doesn't. Here's his response to the article:

Well, that is an interesting article but they conveniently gloss of the fact that the overwhelming majority of polio cases in the world are a result of people shedding the disease after they are vaccinated. Wild polio has been on the decline since WWII, long before there was a vaccine. Without the vaccine it it very possible that it would be long gone. No real way to prove that though.

 

[ChristineM]

You know, I'm beginning to think that the reason that so many people make so many false assumptions about medical progress, including vaccinations, is that unlike most of the 19th and 20th centuries, people now primarily get their "news" through social media. And really, it ought to be pretty clear by now just how wrong social media can be on any number of topics.

Before the modern age, as well, most information came from social networks, as there were no real newspapers or media, with good reporting protocols, to inform ordinary people about the goings on in the world. So local "knowledge," of whatever value, was pretty much all there was.

I grew up primarily reading newspapers, and I still read 3 every day (to get different political viewpoints in the op-ed pages, mostly). I like that newspapers often provide more depth-of-coverage for news stories than radio or television.

So I've always been a believe in vaccines, and echo what others are saying -- "Well done, Africa!"

You have a good point about social media, i will add the internet in general. There is a lot of bad information out there.