"Indian alarm..."

(geschrieben am 17.02.08)

Wie Euch vllt aufgefallen ist, trugen einiger dieser Kids Kappen mit Aufrufen zu Polio-Schutzimpfungen.

"Indian alarm at new polio cases

By Geeta Pandey
BBC News, Delhi Officials in India say they are worried over the growing number of polio cases in the country. They say 119 new cases have been reported in the past month, taking the total number of infections to 416. The disease, which attacks children under five years, affects the nervous system and can result in paralysis.
With almost one-third of the total 1,449 cases in the world, India is seen as a big stumbling block in the struggle against polio.
Particularly dismal has been the case of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh where 358 polio cases have been recorded.
Spreading virus
(...) Experts say the spread of the virus is dependent on three factors - lack of nutrition, environmental causes and poor hygiene and sanitation.
Concerned
They say almost all the cases have been reported from areas where sanitation is an issue and most of the children belong to poor families unable to give them a nutritious diet. In the developed countries, a child needs three doses for immunisation. But in India, a child may need up to 10 doses, they say.
Officials have confirmed that one child in Delhi has contracted the virus despite being given nine shots of the vaccine.
(...)Last year, only 66 cases of polio were recorded in India and officials say the current numbers are giving them sleepless nights. A huge pulse polio campaign is being launched in November and officials say they hope the virus will be contained soon. Although polio has no cure, it is easily preventable through vaccine.
Before 1988, when the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched a global anti-polio campaign, there were more than 350,000 cases worldwide. Today the disease has been eradicated in much of the world but is still found in some countries. (...)
India's failure to contain the virus has caused serious concern to the World Health Organisation in Geneva. It has written to India's health minister, seeking a meeting with him." - BBC News, 25.10.2006

Polio Data* as of Week 07, 2008 (18 February 2008) India

Total Polio Cases 2008 59
Total Polio Cases 2007 863
Total Polio Cases 2006 676
Total Polio Cases 2005 66
Total Polio Cases 2004 134
Most recent Wild Polio case ONSET 19 Jan 2008
Location of most recent case(s) District Katihar (P3), Bihar
(http://www.searo.who.int/EN/Section1226.asp)

Wird hier ganz knapp erklärt,wie wichtig Hygiene ist, erzählte mir eine Ärztin, dass dies eines der Hauptprobleme sei. Indien spende sein Geld für Impfstoffe, etc aber für dauerhafte Veränderungen, wie eben sanitäre Infrastruktur, seien die Geldmittel im Vergleich schwindend gering.:(

Na dann, Herzlich Willkommen im "International Year of Sanitation 2008"

P.s.: Traurig, aber Wahr - Zum Lachen, wenn's nicht zum heulen waere...
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1540477,00.html