Polio is on the march once again in Africa. So far this year, 19 countries on the continent have witnessed outbreaks of the disease. In 2008, the number was 13. The disease, which affects both children and adults, can leave victims paralysed.

Speaking at a conference on inoculation in Zimbabwe, representatives of the World Health Organisation said it wanted governments to make more money available for vaccination programmes to protect children from diseases such as polio.

Today, approximately 75 percent of all children in Africa receive injections to protect them against disease. The WHO wants to raise that figure to 85 percent.

Photo of man with atrophied leg due to polio from Wikimedia Commons