October is Polio Awareness Month, with Polio SA highlighting that while many think it a disease of the past, over 400,000 Australians have had polio at some stage and, with this year’s outbreak in Papua New Guinea, it has never been more important to vaccinate our children against this debilitating disease.

Polio Australia will be hosting two large national events in Adelaide in October, with interstate guests to descend on the state to raise awareness and funds at the annual ‘Walk With Me’ walk and four-day Health and Wellness Retreat.

Many Australians don’t remember the terrible impact that the poliovirus had…..

‘The Late Effects of Polio’, hosted by Polio Australia’s Clinical Health Educator, exercise physiologist Paul Cavendish, was held at Tea Tree Gully Library.

Media Enquiries: Brett Howard, Polio SA President - 0403 339 814

The 12th of April, 2018 will mark the 63rd anniversary of the life changing Polio vaccine, first created by Jonas Salk on April 12, 1955. Known as one of the most prevalent public health problems in the world, Salk extended his polio research into finding a vaccine, and seven devoted years later the most elaborate vaccine trial in history was a success.

To help clinicians recognise and manage these symptoms, Polio Australia, with funding from the federal government, will be delivering a series of Clinical Practice Workshops facilitated by Clinical Health Educator, Paul Cavendish.

To complement the workshops for health professionals, Polio SA will also be hosting a free information session to polio survivors, presented by Cavendish, on the Late Effects of Polio, a condition that can occur often decades after overcoming the disease. 

During May, two Clinical Practice Workshops will be held in Adelaide by Polio Australia, to demystify Late Effects of Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome and present practical strategies to manage the symptoms.

For many LEoP/PPS clients, biomedical and pharmaceutical treatments have limited efficacy, and Polio survivors are turning to allied health practitioners to help them improve their quality of life. General Practitioners, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthotists, exercise physiologists, nurses, podiatrists, speech pathologists, dietitians, social workers, case managers, and anyone interested in knowing more about the post-polio body are encouraged to attend.

Now eradicated in the western world and most of the rest of the globe, Polio is often thought of as a disease of the past. But for the estimated 400,000+ Australians who have ever had Polio, the fight is far from over.

This month is Polio Awareness Month, and while the campaign to end polio continues worldwide, here in South Australia work is happening to create hope for those living with the late effects of Polio, or Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS).