European Polio Union2024-04-24T15:45:51+00:00

Introducing the European Polio Union (EPU)

The European Polio Union (EPU) is a European umbrella organisation for national organisations that support people who have had polio and for people that are currently coping with post-polio syndrome (PPS). The EPU aims, by bringing all those organisations together, to strengthen their force, learn from each other, and help each other. In some European countries, the knowledge and treatment of PPS is (much) better than in others, and the aim is to make this more equal all over Europe.

The EPU

The EPU is a growing organisation. In 2003 some people first came up with the idea of starting a European umbrella organisation, in 2006 this became more specific when representatives of 9 countries had a meeting during a Polio Conference in Italy. There they decided to really make the EPU work!

Objectives

Our vision is of a Europe where people with polio and Post Polio Syndrome have all the resources they need to lead full active, independent and integrated lives and of a world where polio is completely eradicated.

Members

The EPU is an umbrella organisation working for people with Post Polio Syndrome living in Europe. It was founded in March 2007 so is still a fledging organisation. We currently have 16 member organisations in 13 countries.

What is Post-Polio Syndrome ?

After the initial acute phase of the polio infection, people “recovered”. They regained the use of muscles or learned to live with paralysis. Some people had operations; others had some sort of physiotherapy or another treatment. They fought hard to regain a “normal live”.
People then go into a phase of neurological and functional stability.
Around 20 to 40 years after the initial polio infection some people start to experience a decline in their health and functionality. This is known as Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS).

News

Polio Survivors Ireland

Polio Survivors Ireland, originally founded as the Post-Polio Support Group, is the result of two ladies, Joan Bradley and Rosaleen Gallagher, who both had polio. Joan, experiencing unexplained weakness and pain, found her symptoms dismissed by doctors. Around the same time, Rosaleen had just been in the USA and had ...

Healthcare Professionals

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