WHO: Polio is back and spreading at alarming rates

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared polio a public health emergency, after new cases of the crippling disease began spreading across borders, affecting 10 countries worldwide. Polio, a crippling and potentially fatal viral disease that mainly affects children, was thought to have been eradicated after a 25-year effort. But the WHO warned it could become endemic again in the entire world if not immediately addressed. The WHO also imposed travel restrictions on Pakistan, Syria, and Cameroon for allowing the virus to spread outside their borders. The New York Times quoted WHO’s Dr Bruce Aylward saying, “This is a fundamental shift in the program…This is the countries of the world signaling that they will no longer tolerate the spread of the virus from the countries that aren’t finished.”

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