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Tuesday, November 5, 2024

WHO Africa Highlights Achievements Of 2020

Eswatini has succeeded in the eradication of polio among other diseases.

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Godfrey Maotcha
Godfrey Maotcha
Born and grew up in Blantyre Malawi. Worked for the Guardian ( local newspaper) and Montfort Media for six years. A print and online media house. Currently lives in Lilongwe Malawi

CONGO. Brazzaville: The World Health Organisation (WHO) for Africa Region hails the eradication of polio and the strides made by Eswatini as some of the major achievements in the African Health sector for the year 2020.

According to a statement released by the UN body says Africa was declared free from the polio virus in August 2020.

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“This was the second time a virus has been eliminated since the smallpox was eliminated four decades ago”, reads a statement on its website.

Polio  is a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under 5 years of age. The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis.

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The effects of polio include making its victims crippled and causing death requires immunisation of every child until the transmission is stopped.

Read also: Malawi Government Senior Officials Hit By COVID-19

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Other Achievements

Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) achieved a major feat in the transmission of HIV; 95 percent of people living with the virus knew their status while 95 percent received antiretroviral treatment and another 95 percent of those who received treatment had a suppressed viral load

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic taking a toll on the continent, a 99 year old Senegalese woman survived the virus. Other people are alleged to be hugely affected by the virus.

Earlier in April 2020, 275,000 children received the first dose of malaria vaccine in countries like Kenya, Ghana and Malawi. The WHO Africa region has over 47 members most of them from the submission Sahara region.

Author

  • Godfrey Maotcha

    Born and grew up in Blantyre Malawi. Worked for the Guardian ( local newspaper) and Montfort Media for six years. A print and online media house. Currently lives in Lilongwe Malawi

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