Polio an active, debilitating disease

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This article was published 14/10/2009 (6063 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Canadian polio survivor was in Winnipeg on Tuesday to remind people the disease is not just one from the past.

"Most people I meet think polio is a disease that only old, grey-haired people have," said Ramesh Ferris. "But here I am, I’m 29 and I’m living with the effects of it. I encourage the local Manitoba government to find unique ways to educate people about polio, and for the province’s residents to get immunized. We need to get the message out."

Ferris was in Winnipeg as the keynote speaker for Post-Polio Network Manitoba’s triennial conference. Organizers of the Building Better Tomorrows: Living Healthier Lives conference were delighted Ferris could fly in from the Yukon to make his address.

"Ferris is an amazing speaker and we are so happy he was able to come to this conference," said Charlene Craig, president of Post-Polio Network Manitoba. "Everyone here is coping with the effects of post-polio syndrome and we all have an interesting story."

Ferris was born in India and contracted polio at the age of six months. His birth mother put him up for adoption and, after a struggle to allow him into the country due to the medical costs his condition would incur, in 1982 Ferris became the first international adoption in the Yukon.

In 2002 Ferris garnered international attention by returning to India to promote awareness about the disease. Despite common perceptions in developed countries, polio is still an active debilitating disease in Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Canada has seen prevention since the polio vaccine was created in 1955, but still 11 per cent of the national population is not immunized. Ferris says this is due to a number or reasons including lack of education about the realities of polio as a disease that has not been fully eradicated, as well as religious beliefs and decisions based on misinformation.

"There was a false medical study conducted that linked instances of autism to polio vaccination," said Ferris. "This has been proven untrue and the reality is that without continued efforts to eradicate the polio virus, the World Health Organization estimates that 10 million children will become paralyzed by it in the next 40 years."

In 2008, Ferris hand-cycled 7,140 kilometres across Canada to raise awareness about polio eradication, education and rehabilitation. The Cycle to Walk campaign raised over $310,000.

Since 1988, Canada has contributed $331 million toward polio eradication and education. Ferris said he had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week and thank him for Canada’s continued support.

eva.cohen@freepress.mb.ca