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A Bridge for Peace:
Guerilla soldiers providing vaccinations, El Salvador, 1980sCourtesy PAHO/WHO
In 1985, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) launched a campaign to eradicate polio from the Americas. At the time, Central Americans faced major health problems due to ongoing conflict in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. PAHO worked with government leaders, combatants, and local organizations to cease hostilities to allow for immunization campaigns.
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What does this image of global health mean to you?
Join the conversation was open for comment during the exhibition's installation at the National Library of Medicine from April 2008 to December 2010. Take a look at these photos that illustrate moments in global health history, and see what others had to say about them.
Read the comments left by previous visitors here.
13 Comments
this extraordinary accomplishment is similar to the eradication of smallpox, which D.A. Henderson's new book, Smallpox: The Death of a Disease, talks about.
Posted by 510 from buffalo, ny on July 17, 2009 7:29 PM
i think people need to stand up and be heard about this problem. SO LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY !!!!
Posted by 310 from on October 17, 2008 8:19 PM
Curing the most uncurable of dieses. finding solutions to uncurable problems and making everyone well and as comfortable as possible
Posted by 307 from Institute of medicine on September 30, 2008 3:33 AM
PAHO seems to be a successful group in its mission to use Health as a means for peace. Conflict severely affects the people in these areas and helping to vaccinate a simple disease like polio is important. I am impressed by the efforts of PAHO and hope that these countries will learn by PAHO's example.
Posted by 177 from Maryland on June 16, 2008 6:42 PM
I really enjoyed the exhibit. After going on the tour I've been inspired to find an international opportunity to volunteer as a Nurse.
Posted by 166 from NLM Library, Bethesda, MD on May 22, 2008 5:58 PM
I think its interesting how people are still fighting for peace.Some people are willing to give up there lives to have peace in the world. Thatiswhy they have become a part of history.Thatis why it is so speacil.
Posted by 155 from Gaithersburg on May 17, 2008 6:33 PM
It is true that there are humans who look at the world and don't do anything about making it a better place to live, but this picture shows that there always have been and will be people there to help!
Posted by 153 from Gaithersburg, US on May 17, 2008 6:27 PM
i tink back then was a very different and more active time from now .most people get these serious illnessess.most people should agree with me.and if its very dangerous they should actually have their childrens vaccined.
Posted by 120 from institude of medicine on May 10, 2008 5:13 PM
Despite the atrocities and hardships of conflict and warfare every child still deserves a chance to survive curable diseases that at the turn of the century would have been incurable.
Posted by 82 from Manchester, England on April 13, 2008 8:11 PM
Powerful juxtaposition of the gun and the hypodermic.....
Posted by 76 from UK on April 13, 2008 1:44 PM
The site makes it very clear not only that war is an impediment to the fundamental right to protection from disease, but also that health programs can actually foster communication and perhaps even peace itself between warring factions.
Posted by 74 from San Diego on April 11, 2008 6:14 PM
The success of these vaccination campaigns should give pause to those who rail against vaccination.
Posted by 72 from Washington, DC on April 11, 2008 2:28 PM
and now we have people who choose *not* to vaccinate their kids
Posted by 63 from on April 10, 2008 5:30 PM