In India,
a child drags herself across an orphanage floor, her knees raw with open
sores. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, an elderly man earns a pittance
hauling goods on his wheelchair the only work he has ever had.
In Nigeria, young men play soccer with their hands, propelling themselves
on rough skateboards. Polio robbed them of their ability to walk forever.
The crippling virus has disabled nearly 20 million people living today.
But the world is poised to ensure that not one more person ever suffers
such a fate. Since its creation in 1988, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative
has helped cut the global toll of polio paralysis from an estimated 350,000
to fewer than 500 in 2001. Thanks to the hard work of millions of volunteers,
the commitment of governments everywhere and the dedication of international
partners, nearly four million people have been spared crippling lifelong
disability.
Very soon we will live in a polio-free world. The Initiative
demonstrates how much can be achieved when the world pulls together to
help all its citizens. This site, featuring the work of renowned Brazilian
photojournalist Sebastião Salgado, tells the epic story of how
this disease is being eradicated.
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©
Sebastião
Salgado
Somalia
A child is immunized against polio in the village of Sabbatum.
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