10/30/13
Blog #8
1:52
The World Health Organization announced Tuesday that
there have been ten confirmed cases of children with polio in Syria. Health
officials are currently trying to spread the word and warn of the significant
risk of the highly infectious disease spreading now that there are confirmed
cases. On top of the ten confirmed cases there are 12 children suffering from paralysis
associated with polio that are awaiting test results. That means that that
thousands more are likely to be infected because just 1 in 200 of those who
contract the disease actually show symptoms. The two and half year long
conflict in Syria has created optimal conditions for the spread of communicable
diseases which are therefore devastating the countries health care system. Health
workers are warning that the unsanitary conditions that millions for Syrians
are living in are breeding grounds for diseases, such as polio, which are
transmitted through contaminated food and water supply. The even larger issue arises
when there are as many as 4,000 refugees fleeing the country every day the risk
of spreading the disease becomes very serious. “This isn’t a Syria problem;
this is a Middle Eastern problem, which is going to require a massive
multi-country response”. The response to this problem is already underway.
Seven countries in the region including Syria have launched emergency programs
to vaccinate 20 million children over the next two months, with follow up rounds
in the most at risk areas. These cases that have been confirmed in Syria are
the first cases they have had in the past 14 years.
The polio outbreak in Syria is becoming an extremely
serious problem. This is adding to the massive amounts of destruction that
Syria is already facing. Thankfully, they have already put a plan into action
to try and stop this outbreak as soon as possible. Syria is only seems to be
getting worse and worse as time goes on. Even doctors are fleeing the country
due to lack of supplies. It is so crucial for not only Syria but also Middle Eastern
countries to take this polio outbreak serious and try to vaccinate as many children
as they can as soon as possible. Syria has a long way to go before they will
ever be able to get back to any form of “normalcy”. There is still so much to
be done in order to help restore Syria as a country and help restore the
physical, mental, and emotional health and lives of the Syrian people.
Article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/who-confirms-polio-outbreak-in-syria/2013/10/29/a03c3010-40b8-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story.html
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