Small Pox, Polio, and now Measles

Today, the probability of a newborn baby dying before the age of five is, globally, about 7%, compared with 10% in 1990, 12% in 1980, and 25% in 1950. That still permits approximately 10.5 million children under 5 years of age still die every year. Parts of Africa are still floundering at 15% child mortality rates!

It really isn't too foreign. Even in the United States, this picture is part of the history. Imagine living a mere century ago in the United States when:

• There were a mere 144 miles of paved roads
• The average wage was 22 cents and hour
• The five leading causes of death in the US were Pneumonia and Influenza, Tuberculosis, Diarrhea, Heart disease, and Stroke
• Two of 10 US adults could NOT read or write. Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.

We did not have strong public health. We did not have immunization programs. Now we have a public health system the strongly encourages childhood immunization against disease. Polio, Measles, Type B (Hib) Meningitis, Hepatitis B, Pertussis (whooping cough) Rubella (German measles), Varicella (chickenpox), Diphtheria, Tetanus (lockjaw), and Mumps.

The following information appears at http:www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/fs/gen/WhatIfStop.htm and applies to vaccination in the United States :

• Polio virus causes acute paralysis that can lead to permanent physical disability and even death. Before polio vaccine was available, 13,000 to 20,000 cases of paralytic polio were reported each year in the United States . These annual epidemics of polio often left thousands of victims--mostly children--in braces, crutches, wheelchairs, and iron lungs. The effects were life-long.
• Before measles immunization was available, nearly everyone in the U.S. got measles. An average of 450 measles-associated deaths were reported each year between 1953 and 1963. If vaccinations were stopped, each year about 2.7 million measles deaths worldwide could be expected.
• Before pertussis immunizations were available, nearly all children developed whooping cough. In the U.S. , prior to pertussis immunization, between 150,000 and 260,000 cases of pertussis were reported each year, with up to 9,000 pertussis-related deaths.
• In the 1920's, diphtheria was a major cause of illness and death for children in the U.S. In 1921, a total of 206,000 cases and 15,520 deaths were reported. With vaccine development in 1923, new cases of diphtheria began to fall in the U.S. , until in 2001 only two cases were reported.

In the United States we have made huge strides in saving children from deadly and destructive diseases. For children across the world, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have taken large steps to reduce the disease burden on children.

Rotary International created the Rotary Model in their attempt to reduce Polio in the world. We discuss the Rotary Model here. For now, let it be clear, we know, we tried, and we tested the methods for mass immunization, and they are overwhelmingly successful.

Dare we ask the question, what would the world look like if the vaccination practices of the United States and much of the developed world extended to the whole world? What if vaccine-like goods such as insecticide treated mosquito nets, oral rehydration therapy, and nutritional supplements were available where needed? What if public health wasn't a privilege of developed countries but a right of all people? What happens to reproduction rates/overpopulation when public health is universal?

We stand poised on the top of the mountain of child survival. We made it up the mountain of knowledge barriers and trials. Now it is time to go down the mountain with actions. Currently we loose over 10 million children every year. Here we show how we can cut that number in half in the next five years.

 

last updated 25 May 2006