Democratic Congo: Vaccination Campaign against Polio

Kinshasa, Mar 11. -Sanitary authorities of the Democratic Republic of Congo anounced that more than eight million people, among them children and adults, will be vaccinated here against poliomyelitis. Congolese Minister of Public Health Victor Makwenge Kaput, showed that the campaign of inoculation will be developed between March 23 and 27 of to control sprouts of this illness.

According to the source, in the last days five cases were discovered in this country of central Africa, with a population of more than 60 million inhabitants.

The Public Health Minister said that, despite the plan of massive vaccination for future April, the sanitary work was decided by the government of Kinshasa in order to avoid possible risks of expansion of the illness.

In the crusade against polio, other organizations are working together with the government, such as the United Nations Fund for Children and the World Health Organization.

According to sanitary organizations, from January 2010 until February 2011, 112 cases of polio were reported, and in 2009, three cases were detected.

The illness, which also fond affects nearby countries such as Angola and the Republic of Congo, it is a viral infectious suffering that attacks the nervous system and can cause paralysis in human beings. (Prensa Latina)