No More Polio Cases in Africa: WHO

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it has already been one full year since there has been any reported Polio cases in the entire African continent.

The Headlines and Global News reports that the last recorded case of polio in the continent was on Aug. 11 in Somalia last year, while Nigeria's last recorded cases was on July 24, also last year.

States The New York Times, the global polio eradication drive began in 1988. Before the initiative, there were more than 300,000 children around the world who are affected by the virus annually.

However, many health experts remain skeptics about Africa's progress against polio.

"This is a big success, but it's still fragile," explained Dr. Hamid Jafari, WHO director assigned to the polio eradication initiative, via Today Online. "There's always a worry that there could be an undetected case in a population you're not reaching."

There were hurdles in trying to eradicate polio in Somalia as the disease resurfaced in 2005. Some of the biggest turn arounds were from religious figures who were urged by health experts to have their congregants vaccinated.

Some Somalians resisted vaccination as it went against their beliefs. However, through the efforts of the 40 religious leaders from North East Somalia, awareness was made and the polio prevention efforts were successful, according to the report by Huffington Post.

"We agree with the conclusions of the doctors," said Hagi Ali Ahmed via Huff Post, a sheikh. "Rumors were wrong. Religious leaders must create awareness in all mosques and among the community."

It will take a couple more years of surveillance and monitoring before Africa will be officially declared polio-free, according to the WHO as the continent is made up of many isolated towns and villages that are not easily accessible.

While many celebrated the good news in Somalia, the battle against polio still continues.

"While today's milestone is extraordinary, it is not an endpoint. For Nigeria, two more years must pass without a case of wild poliovirus before it can finally be certified as polio-free, along with the rest of the African continent," said Peter Crowley, UNICEF polio unit head, in a statement published in the UNICFEF website.

The triumph of Somalia over polio was also made possible firstly by vaccines and volunteer efforts and the support of the government departments in Somalia. International organizations such as WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation also contributed to the improvements in the country, according to Tech Times.

The report added that with Nigeria on its way to become polio-free, the only other two countries to have polio are Afghanistan and Pakistan and that the same efforts will be provided in order to eliminate the disease from the world.