When we work together, we can achieve amazing feats that would seem impossible otherwise, and nowhere is this true than in the world of specialist pharmacy services.
One of the single greatest achievements in human history was the work of countless campaigns of vaccination, education and observation in every corner of the world that turned smallpox from one of history’s greatest killers to a distant memory only found in laboratories.
However, there are many other diseases that humanity is winning the fight against, and with that in mind here are some potentially fatal diseases that have nearly been eradicated from the face of the earth.
Measles, Mumps And Rubella
Three contagious diseases that can have serious and potentially life-threatening complications, measles, rubella (German measles) and mumps used to be far more common, but their reduction in cases and virtual eradication in many countries is the result of the same treatment.
The combined MMR vaccine is a critical part of childhood vaccination programmes because of the catastrophic long-term effects all three of these diseases can have, and it is encouraging that outside of localised outbreaks none of these diseases are commonly seen nor have the same devastating effects they used to.
Polio
Poliomyelitis, often simply known as polio is a disease that is exceptionally rare and often has no symptoms, but it is also a potentially debilitating disease that causes incurable paralysis.
However, it is only endemic in three countries in the world (Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan) and no case of polio paralysis has been seen in the UK since 1984. It was officially wiped out of Europe in 2003.
Malaria
A potentially deadly infection spread by mosquito bites, Malaria is part of a targeted eradication programme that has eliminated it from most of the world, including Europe, Australia, the Caribbean, North Africa and North America, with parts of the rest also showing significant progress.