The World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to confirm today that wild polio has been eradicated from Africa, AFP reports. The last reported cases were in Nigeria, four years ago.
“Thanks to the relentless efforts by governments, donors, frontline health workers and communities, up to 1.8 million children have been saved from the crippling life-long paralysis,” the WHO said in a statement.
A Nigerian doctor and local anti-polio coordinator, Tunji Funsho, told reporters that “Happiness is an understatement. We’ve been on this marathon for over 30 years,” adding that he hoped that this would mark an important step on the way to totally eradicating the disease world-wide.