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.
- 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.
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
Latest Posts
- WHO prequalifies new oral simplified vaccine for cholera
- Call for Research Participants: Public Health Competencies in Nepal: Current Status and Way Forward
- Call for expression of interest: Mobilizing young people in the fight to End TB: WHO 1+1 Initiative
- A Country Report on Measuring access to Assistive technology (AT) in Nepal
- Advanced Module Public Health Systems Challenges and Opportunities: The Case of Nepal
Thanks for visiting us.
Disclaimer: The resources, documents, guidelines, and information on this blog have been collected from various sources and are intended for informational purposes only. Information published on or through this website and affiliated social media channels does not represent the intention, plan, or strategies of an organization that the initiator is associated with in a professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly indicated.
If you have any complaints, information, or suggestions about the content published on Public Health Update, please feel free to contact us at blog.publichealthupdate@gmail.com.
#StayUpdated
Comments are closed.