Polio Rescue Association is a dedicated team against poliomyelitis through the elimination of the dreaded poliovirus. PRASS believes that it is the single largest virus that claims responsibility for the deformity and incapacitation of our children. This is one side of its evil effects. Our team laments the one sidedness of government and many global organisations in this crusade. It is part of our commitment to wipe out polio but down the ages the rampaging endemic polio has crippled hundreds of thousands of our children in our beloved country and continent. And we treat them as if they are guilty. We need a compassionate approach in both directions to have a sustained fight and win a permanent victory.

The team believes that we can stop the new outbreak of polio through extensive publicity and campaign for vaccine administration. But government alone cannot do it else we will continue to lose the fight. We have the passion because we know the pains. We tell everyone who cares the gravity of the evil polio can do if it affects their wards and children. We incite them to run from polio the same way they would a ravaging tsunami. This is one side of the fight.

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Rehabilitation

In our own language, rehabilitation will have to do with the physical restoration of the physically challenged person. To achieve this, we are going to work with ministries of health and health institutions in the following areas:
(a)    Corrective surgery (if necessary)
(b)    Provision of walking Aids and Gadgets
(c)    Physiotherapy
(d)    Other medical assistance, drugs and professional advice.[/bdt_accordion_item][bdt_accordion_item title=”Re-orientation”]Even where rehabilitation is inevitable, re-orientation is also paramount. Nigeria has become a beggarly society where majority of the people, physically challenged or able-bodied live on the philanthropic nature of city dwellers. Our rescue effort here is motivational in nature. We will accomplish this through organising seminars and inviting the polio survivors and their parents and near kin members. To cite examples of achievers, who have soared to the zenith of their career, despite their apparent disability? To tell them what it takes to attain unprecedented feat in life endeavours. This is going to encompass inspirational, motivational and encouragement talks. The example of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the longest serving American president, of Gautam Lewis, an Indian-born polio survivor, Helen Keller, the blind, deaf and dumb American and John Foppe, the American guy that was born without hands and many others. These have risen to international prominence in spite of their apparently pitiable physical conditions.

Re-orientation

Even where rehabilitation is inevitable, re-orientation is also paramount. Nigeria has become a beggarly society where majority of the people, physically challenged or able-bodied live on the philanthropic nature of city dwellers. Our rescue effort here is motivational in nature. We will accomplish this through organising seminars and inviting the polio survivors and their parents and near kin members. To cite examples of achievers, who have soared to the zenith of their career, despite their apparent disability? To tell them what it takes to attain unprecedented feat in life endeavours. This is going to encompass inspirational, motivational and encouragement talks. The example of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the longest serving American president, of Gautam Lewis, an Indian-born polio survivor, Helen Keller, the blind, deaf and dumb American and John Foppe, the American guy that was born without hands and many others. These have risen to international prominence in spite of their apparently pitiable physical conditions.

Re-integration

When our work is done, rehabilitation and re-orientation we will send them back to the society that has once rejected and disappointed them to compete favourably and to excel in the hostile and competitive economy of Africa.
We will accomplish this through:
(a)    Working with human resources companies, personnel department of corporate organisations, government and government agencies to stop rejecting disabled persons and to provide job for the qualified ones.
(b)    Those who have entrepreneur skills to access funds to enable them establish and stand on their own. We will accomplish this through the partnership government and other international institutions.
(c)    Skill acquisition in vocational institutes for those who are deficient in any skill and sponsoring the smart but indigent kids for academic knowledge

Aims and Objectives

  1. To enlighten the public about the crippling disease as a social problem.
  2. To involve, participate and organize campaigns to end polio now
  3. To advocate healthy and happy, free and full lifestyle for polio survivors.
  4. To serve as an advocacy group for polio survivors and their care givers.
  5. To establish a forum in which problems (physical, emotional and psychological) facing polio survivors can be discussed and solutions proffered.
  6. To bring to the awareness of government and private sector the fate of polio survivors and other health related conditions resulting into deformity.
  7. To create a platform on which polio survivors can come together and interact

MISSION STATEMENT

To declare total and sustained war against poliomyelitis through orientation, vaccination, re-orientation, rehabilitation and re-integration of (polio survivors) in partnership with government agencies, international organisations, corporate entities and individual philanthropists.

VISION

To evolve a state and a continent where physical deformity or death (arising from polio) and other infantile paralytic diseases will be totally obliterated and where persons living with disability will not be regarded as social vices or stigmas but will be provided with the necessary support to compete favourably in the African economy.