Polio - It Still Exists?

The crippling disease of polio. To me, it was always a thing of the past, an event from my grandmother's era. Sure, I knew of a few names of individuals who suffered from this disease, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, but once more, it was in the past.

The vaccination was created in 1952. That's well over 50 years ago. Today, in 2005, scientists and doctors finally hope to completely eradicate polio.

(To see the story on this, follow the link)
http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/02/25/westafrica.polio.ap/index.html

I think it's fantastic, a wonderful medical breakthrough. But in an age where I can talk to someone in Africa or Asia instantly, this major breakthrough seems a little slow.

Perhaps it was an impossibility any sooner. After all, the violence and ongoing civil conflicts in Africa make it difficult to access many of the local children. Yet, 13 countries that are currently facing the illness were once polio-free.

In the next few days, health officials hope to vaccinate more than 100 million children in 22 West African and Central African countries. Good for them. Hopefully, movements such as this will spread onto other worldwide issues.