World Polio Day: One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio!

World Polio Day is observed every year on 24 October. It was established by Rotary International. World Polio Day provides an opportunity to highlight global efforts toward a polio-free world.

What is Poliomyelitis?

Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious disease that most commonly affects children under the age of 5. Poliomyelitis, or polio, is a paralyzing and potentially fatal disease that still threatens children in some parts of the world.

Recommended: National Immunization Schedule, Nepal (Revised)

Poliovirus invades the nervous system and can cause total paralysis in hours. It can strike people of any age but mainly affects children under five. Polio can be prevented by vaccines, but it is not curable. Unlike most diseases, polio can be eradicated.

Facts

• There are 2 forms of vaccine available to ward off polio – oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV).
• Large-scale vaccination rounds help rapidly boost immunity.
• Every child must be vaccinated to eradicate polio.
• Polio mainly affects children under age 5.
• One in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralysed, 5–10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized.
• There is no cure, but polio is preventable with a vaccine.
• Only two countries remain endemic.
• Wild Poliovirus in Two Remaining Countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• We’ve reduced cases by 99.9% since 1988.
• Until we end polio forever, every child is at risk.
• Once polio is eradicated, the world can celebrate the delivery of a major global public good that will benefit all people equally, no matter where they live. Economic modelling has found that the eradication of polio would save at least US$ 40–50 billion, mostly in low-income countries. Most importantly, success will mean that no child will ever again suffer the terrible effects of lifelong polio-paralysis.

Source of info: CDC, ROTARY International & WHO

Related readings

• Africa Kicks Out Wild Polio!
• WHO’s polio surveillance team, other field staff join COVID19 fight
• A milestone for humanity: Two strains of polio are now eradicated
• One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio! #WorldPolioDay
• Global Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (GCC) meet in Geneva to review criteria for certification
• Fractional Dose of Inactivated Polio Vaccine-fIPV