Tagged: polio

A large crowd of women and children stand in a circle around a man holding a blue megaphone.

Polio vaccinations ensure a future for every child

Children in emergencies

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Story also available in: Français
It is noon when I arrive at the polio vaccination site in Manono, Tanganyika Province in the south-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A folk singing group entertains the assembled crowd. In front of the crowd are men, women, young people, older people and children from the area. A young man begins to speak about his… Read more →←
Three women in traditional Lao clothing walking away from camera towards a village in Laos to administer polio vaccinations.

No mountain too high: Ending polio in Laos

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Story also available in: 中文
For 15 years Daeng Xayaseng has been travelling by motorbike and on foot through rugged, undulating countryside to deliver vaccines to children in some of the most remote villages in Laos. It’s hard work but she is determined to protect children. “We have a target of children to reach and we’ll achieve that no matter how long it… Read more →←
A boy receiving a drop of vaccine on his tongue.

Polio and me: a Syrian doctor’s story

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Story also available in: Français 中文
I was seven months old when my mother took me to see a doctor in Suran, my hometown. I had a high fever, and she had noticed weakness in both my legs. It was then that I was diagnosed with polio. Polio is a highly contagious disease that attacks the nervous system. It can cause paralysis or even death among young children. While the… Read more →←
The face of a young woman receiving an injection.

Yellow fever in Angola shows vaccine funding is critical

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Story also available in: Español
Angola was declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in December – a public health triumph. It set the stage for a similar declaration in Nigeria, a major landmark in the global battle against this disabling disease. But while Angolan officials are rightly proud of the declaration, the recent yellow fever… Read more →←
Children in school uniforms after a group vaccination.

Reasons to be optimistic about ending polio

Experts speak

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Story also available in: Español Français
Thirty years ago, there were over 350,000 cases of wild polio virus each year. In 2014, there were just 359 and so far this year, only 51. That’s a 99.9 percent decrease, a truly remarkable accomplishment. Earlier this year, Nigeria – which in 2012 recorded 122 cases of paralysis and was considered one of the most difficult… Read more →←
UNICEF staff visit a health center where children were being vaccinated against preventable diseases for the first time in 2015.

Vaccinating children across Yemen

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Story also available in: العربية Español 中文
I have been part of vaccination campaigns in some tough places, but nothing can prepare you for the devastation in Yemen. A brutal conflict that escalated in March is ravaging the country and I have come to support our team here. It is early morning as we head out to a UNICEF-supported health centre in Sana’a. You can see the fear in… Read more →←
A woman volunteer takes the stand at a mosque in Aleppo to teach gathered women on the importance of polio vaccinations and their safety.

Syrian women risk their lives to protect children from polio

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Story also available in: العربية 中文
More than 200 Syrian women risk their lives every day to save the lives of children by teaching fellow mothers about the importance of polio vaccinations in the most hard-to-reach areas, including in Dar’a in the far south of Syria, and Aleppo in the northern part of the war-torn country. UNICEF works with local partners to train these… Read more →←
A girl in Somalia displays her ink-marked finger, demonstrating that she has been vaccinated against polio.

A great day for Africa: polio nears its end

Impact

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Story also available in: العربية Español Français
Today marks one year since we have had a case of the wild poliovirus anywhere in Africa, the last having been reported from Somalia with a date of onset of 11th August 2014. What an extraordinary achievement and what a powerful symbol of the progress that has been made on the African continent over the past generation. What got us to… Read more →←
A mother and child from Bangladesh.

Polio vaccination and eradication – going beyond the drops

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Story also available in: Français
Polio, once a disease feared around the world, has become a global success story for vaccines. Before the race for global polio eradication, children around the world were vulnerable to this devastating and incurable disease that often led to paralysis and permanent disability. Polio cases have since been reduced by 99 per cent and the… Read more →←

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