AS the CEO of The British Polio Fellowship, I was deeply saddened to read the news of two cases of polio being discovered in the Ukraine recently – the first cases in Europe since 2010.
Such news comes not only as a setback to all of those who fight to eradicate polio, but also as a stark reminder as to how much more work is to be done.
An estimated 120,000 people in the UK alone live with the late effects of polio and post polio syndrome (PPS), a figure believed to be similar to the number of people suffering from Parkinson’s or motor neurone disease.
What’s telling is that PPS receives only a fraction of public and medical awareness. It’s time that polio was once again treated with the respect it deserves; it still poses a severe risk to people of all ages - highlighted by the two children in the Ukraine who were confirmed with the virus, one aged four years old, the other aged 10 months old.
The greater backing and assistance that the British Polio Fellowship receives, the better we will be placed to promote awareness of polio and PPS.
As much as this news is a setback, it’s imperative that it’s turned into something positive and acts as wake up call as to what more needs to be done.
As the CEO of the charity which helps, supports and empowers those in the UK living with the late effects of polio and pps, it is my hope that this recent news acts as a catalyst for change. It is vital that we heed these recent cases in Europe as a warning and recognise the vast amount of work still to be done.
Ted Hill MBE
CEO, the British Polio Fellowship
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