Polio's Last Stand?

Although global initiatives have greatly reduced cases of polio worldwide, the disease still has a stronghold in a few developing countries.

Credit: WHO

A researcher at the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Institute, National Polio Lab.

In the heart of Nigeria, Isa Abdullahi plays soccer. Most Nigerian boys do, but for Isa the task is difficult: he contracted polio when he was six years old. The disease left him partially paralyzed and both his legs slender and twisted. But he is lucky—most with paralytic polio cannot even walk.

In Nigeria alone, more than 1000 people contracted polio in 2006. Poor roads, violent conflict, and lack of political commitment make the vaccine difficult to distribute, but there are also biological and social factors contributing to the persistence of the disease. These difficulties lead to local epidemics which can spread and re-infect countries once declared polio-free.

Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative 18 years ago, intensive vaccination campaigns have dramatically reduced the number of polio cases worldwide. But four endemic countries still remain: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Despite the initiative’s best efforts, the last cases are proving especially difficult to combat.