For the World Polio Day the European Polio Union (EPU) held a demonstration in the centre of Brussels in order to draw attention to the needs of people with polio and post polio syndrome in Europe. The demonstration took place on 16 th October 2007 in front of the European Parliament.

As you can see from the photos the rally was crowed and animated. The participants came from the 12 countries of EPU, representing over one million people in the EU living with polio or post polio syndrome.

The rally was followed by a meeting in the European Parliament on the 17 th October 2007.
The meeting took place in conference hall (see picture). In attendance there were members of the European Polio Union, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and health professionals.

Leaders in their field, Professor Kristian Borg from the Karolinska Institute and Professor Frans Nollet from the University of Amsterdam, who talked about post polio syndrome and stress the need to work together on a European level.

Graham Ball, Chief Executive of the British Polio Fellowship said, “Whilst polio has been eradicated in most of Europe there are approximately one million people living in the EU with the effects of polio and post polio syndrome. These people need a tremendous amount of help and support, most are severely disabled and post polio syndrome is making their plight even worse.”

The EPU is calling upon the European Parliament to ensure that post polio syndrome is correctly acknowledged in all member states and that significant resources are put into its research, treatment and information requirements.

Prior to the meeting member countries have contacted their own MEPs to request their support and at present 70 of these MEPs have signed the EPU’s petition list.