Polio Eradication 101

This February, I had the chance to participate in an incredible program- PolioPlus. I traveled to India with a team to give out polio vaccines in cities outside of Delhi. Needless to say, it was a memorable experience. After coming back, I've been trying to spread the word about polio- a disease that's largely been forgotten in the developed world. So, I'll be using this venue to post articles, information, and hopefully, some interviews with the experts working on polio eradication.

Many have heard about the efforts to control malaria. The latest Twitter throwdown between CNN and Kutcher generated lots of buzz about malaria and malaria nets. Economics and development guru Jeffrey Sachs has long been an advocate of the $10 malaria nets.

Polio, though, hasn't garnered as much media attention- largely because the battle has been going on for very long and it hasn't attracted much celebrity attention in recent years.

So, let's begin with a 101 on polio:

What is it?

Polio attacks the nervous system and causes paralysis (in many forms, some more serious than others). It's a virus that's largely submitted from human-to-human contact. The biggest challenge is that many people can be a carrier of the virus but not show any signs of paralysis (so the virus stays alive w/o necessarily being active and manifesting itself).

Where's it happening?

India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan

What are we doing about it?

Four organizations have come together to take on the fight against polio, each offering their own expertise and resources: WHO, UNICEF, Rotary, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control

The effort's been going on since 1988- that's 20 plus years and counting.

What can you do?

1. It may sound silly to ask for money in these economic times but one of the crucial needs in the eradication effort is funds.

Each vaccine for a child costs 60 cents. That's two drops of the vaccine and that's all a child needs. So, the smallest donations make a difference.

2. For those who can't support financially, you should write to your congressman/woman, urging them to support the cause. Spread the word in whatever fashion- through word of mouth, online, blogging, etc.

This year, the governments of Great Britain and Germany each gave 100 GBP and 100 EUR, respectively. Plus, the Gates Foundation has just awarded Rotary a grant of $255 million.

These institutions/ governments are supporting Rotary and its partners because they've shown results in the past: they've eliminated polio from 122 countries in the world and reduced the number of cases by 99 percent. They're effective. And that's why we should be making some 'noise' about this program- it's an example of how by pure volunteerism a disease can be wiped out...

Why do we care? Because viruses don't see national boundaries and geographic limits. Plus, it's a life-long disease. So, you're giving people the chance to walk limp-free, crutch-free for a lifetime.

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for more on polio. Till then, check out: http://www.rotary.org/en/ServiceAndFellowship/Polio/HelpEradicatePolio/Pages/ridefault.aspx

A few side notes:

I'd like to dedicate this blog to Prachi and her family - hope that our efforts help in some small way.

Photo of the vaccine courtesy of Randy Butler- one of the members on the 2009 team and a fantastic photographer!