Lending a helping hand.

Vita-Tech International donated one ton of vitamins to Conakry, Guinea, West Africa to support nutritionally disadvantaged populations in polio treatment centers throughout the country, as well as rural villages in the area surrounding Conakry. They have always planned for a shipment in the future, so this is not just a one time deal.

More and more companies should invest in the welfare of other countries in our world that are struggling. As the saying goes, "With power comes great responsibility." Large corporations need to do more things to help out the world. They were given the power by the consumers, and they need to do more to give back what they were given. It sickens me to see CEO's driving fancy cars, going out to fancy restaurants, and buying outrageously priced clothes and other things while there are people in this world that are suffering.

"In Africa, the continent where the polio epidemic has been most difficult to control, efforts at disease eradication often work against a backdrop of civil unrest and war. In some countries, the end of years of fighting has led to a new push for public health measures, including widespread vaccination. Elsewhere, conflict continues to complicate vaccine delivery; temporary cease-fire agreements must be negotiated to allow vaccination and prevent serious outbreaks from occurring. When the system breaks down, the results can be disastrous"(Dove, 1999).

Polio is a very scary disease that has become an epidemic in Africa as was stated by the last quotation.

"Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It invades the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It can strike at any age, but affects mainly children under three (over 50% of all cases). The virus enters the body through the mouth and multiplies in the intestine. Initial symptoms are fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs. One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis (usually in the legs)"(Global Polio).

With the help of companies such as Vita-Tech International, more and more lives will be spared in many countries in Africa. More and more countries should take the lead of companies like Vita-Tech International. Even small donations would go a long way to help with the efforts in Africa. We should all learn to lend a helping hand.

Tag: (Dove, 1999), (Global Polio), Vita-Tech International, Conakry, Guinea, West Africa,