Prevention of poliomyelitis

Description:

The main component of prevention of poliomyelitis – vaccination.

Vaccination is performed by administration of live or attenuated vaccine. At introduction to an organism it causes formation of immunity.

Use of a vaccine, however, does not exclude need of observance of strict sanitary and hygienic measures: purity of rooms, washing of hands, fruit, boiling of milk and water, observation of purity of bathrooms, etc.

In 1988 the 41st session of the World assembly of health care consisting at that time of delegates from 166 member states adopted the resolution on elimination of poliomyelitis in the world. It laid the foundation for the Global initiative of elimination of poliomyelitis which was headed by the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotari International, the Centers of the USA on fight against diseases and prevention of diseases (TsBB) and UNICEF.

In general, in 20 years after the beginning of implementation of the Global initiative of elimination of poliomyelitis the number of cases of this disease decreased more than by 99%.

According to WHO data by 2008 only four countries in the world – Afghanistan, India, Nigeria and Pakistan – remained endemic on poliomyelitis whereas in 1988 the number of such countries exceeded 125.