Polio Vaccination Campaign

I see people every day on the streets of Luanda who have been affected by polio. Some have been so severely paralyzed that they crawl on their hands and knees while begging for spare change. This is a particularly frustrating sight to see since this disease can easily be prevented through regular vaccinations during childhood.  

What is Polio?

Poliomyletis is a virus that is transmitted from person to person primarily through the oral-fecal route, by ingesting contaminated food or water. Spinal polio, the most common form, can cause muscle weakness and paralysis, usually affecting the legs. Polio epidemics have crippled thousands of people, mostly young children; the disease has caused paralysis and death for much of human history. There is no cure for the disease and it can only be prevented through vaccination. The vaccine was developed in the 1950's and has reduced the global number of polio cases per year from many hundreds of thousands to today under a thousand.

Polio in Angola

Factors that increase the risk of polio infection or affect the severity of the disease include poor sanitation , malnutrition, and immune deficiency. Walking around the neighborhoods in Luanda, where rivers of open sewage flow through the streets and past the homes of children, it is easy to see why people continue to be affected by this disease.

Angola experienced a polio outbreak in 2007 and again in 2010, which spread to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the World Health Organization, outbreak response in both countries has been inadequate to stop transmission of the viruses. Monitoring indicated that as many as 25% of children are missed during vaccination campaigns in Luanda Province.

Africare Angola Polio Vaccination Campaign

The Ministry of Health has partnered with USAID and various non-governmental organizations, like Africare, to organize vaccination campaigns. They rely on volunteers to go out into communities and find children 0-5 to administer the oral drops. The most recent campaign took place from June 29 to July 1. More than 1,000 children were vaccinated.
Yesterday, my team went out to Palanca, a neighborhood outside of Luanda. We walked the streets looking for children and knocking on doors. Parents welcomed us into their homes or brought their children outside so that we could administer the oral vaccine. Some opened their mouths enthusiastically while others screamed in terror at the sight of us. After we gave them the 2 drops, we painted their left pinky to let other volunteers know that they had been vaccinated.

One of the most shocking things about this process is the lack of formality involved. There were no health records or signatures. We often didn't even ask for permission from the parents. If I saw an 8-year-old carrying a baby down the street, I would just check his finger nails and then go for it. Can you imagine a group of foreigners walking through your neighborhood, dropping a mysterious liguid into your children's mouths? I don't think that would fly. 

It was an amazing experience and I feel encouraged by the work done by Africare Angola and the other volunteers. We have to believe that every little bit helps. 

     

Palanca

                             

Vaccination Team