The World Health Organization (WHO) declared, on Tuesday, 25, that polio is officially eradicated in the African continent. There were many words of rejoicing in the speeches made at the time. It is well. For this disease has killed and made life impossible for millions (many millions) of children across the continent.
Therefore, a date to be fixed on the calendar: August 25, 2020. Second decade of the 21st century.
When we proceed to read the WHO ad, almost in a ropadé note, we learn that there has been a vaccine since the 50s of the 20th century. That’s right, mid-last century.
It took 70 years for the vaccine – developed by Jonas Salk in 1955 and whose oral version came into commercial use in 1961 – to have a wide and consistent application capable of eliminating wild poliovirus from Africa.
Also as a footnote, I say that in Portugal the vaccination campaign started in 1965 and the disease was considered extinct in the country in 1986.
The eradication of this nefarious disease was possible thanks to the efforts and efforts of many, in particular, international organizations that have not given up on putting pressure on governments and millionaires to support the cause of vaccination on the continent.
It took a lot of pressure to explain a disease that almost no one remembers or even knows what it is in developed countries. Fortunately, tell yourself.
I would add that, on average, a dose of this vaccine costs 25 cents…
Once again richer countries versus poorer countries.
Are there any doubts about which countries will be the first and who will have access to the possible vaccine against covid-19? I have few here.
*Publisher of the Portuguese edition of Plataforma
