Coulton gets behind Post-Polio Awareness Week
02-November-2010
Federal Member for Parkes Mark Coulton has thrown his support behind Post-Polio Awareness Week.
Despite it being several decades since the last polio epidemic, a large number of people are now suffering the late affects of the disease that they may have contracted many years ago.
Mr Coulton, who is a patron of Polio Australia, believes more focus needs to be placed on assisting and caring for sufferers of the disease, as new symptoms can arise and quite often are misdiagnosed as other chronic illnesses.
“It’s important for everyone to realise it is an active disease that needs to be seen to immediately,” he said.
“Polio is a disease that can really impact you in different ways so unfortunately people who have it often don’t have it diagnosed for years.
“Even after polio is diagnosed, 70% of sufferers experience new symptoms such as joint and muscle pains and breathing problems so there are on-going problems.”
This week is Post-Polio Awareness Week, and Mr Coulton hopes it can raise the profile of the disease and increase the awareness in the community of the affects of late onset polio.
“We are seeing people who thought their disease was at a stable level, now suffering from new symptoms,” he said.
“The new symptoms can occur up to 50 years after the initial detection of the disease so that is extremely concerning.
“The onset of polio can really change people’s lives so it is essential the disease is correctly diagnosed in the beginning, and that treatment is sought.
“There is a misconception that polio has largely been eliminated from our society, however it is more important now then ever for parents to have their children immunised.”
Post-Polio Awareness Week started Monday November 1st and ends Sunday November 7th.