Polio cases have decreased by over 99%

Poliomyelitis

Key facts

·     Polio (poliomyelitis) mainly affects children under five years of age.

·         One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.

Medical waste poses an important threat to health

Waste from health-care activities Key facts

·      Of the total amount of waste generated by health-care activities, about 80% is general waste.

·         The remaining 20% is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive.

·         Every year an estimated 16 000 million injections are administered worldwide, but not all of the needles and syringes are properly disposed of afterwards.