World Polio Day

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World Polio Day is an annual observance held on October 24th that aims to raise awareness about poliomyelitis (polio) and to encourage further actions to eradicate this infectious disease worldwide. The day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, the developer of a vaccine that has played a key role in the fight against polio.

Background

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under the age of five. The virus is transmitted person-to-person, mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (for example, contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and can cause paralysis. In the late 1940s to the early 1950s, before polio vaccines were available, polio outbreaks caused more than 15,000 cases of paralysis each year in the United States. The development of polio vaccines by Jonas Salk in 1955 and later by Albert Sabin introduced a powerful tool in the fight against polio.

Significance

World Polio Day highlights the global effort to eradicate polio. Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, the incidence of polio has plummeted by more than 99 percent, from about 350,000 cases a year in more than 125 endemic countries to just a few cases today. However, polio remains endemic in two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan – and the threat of outbreaks remains in areas with low immunization rates.

Activities

On World Polio Day, Rotary International, along with its partners in the GPEI – the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – organize and support events and fundraisers to support polio eradication efforts. Activities include community outreach and education programs, polio vaccination campaigns, and social media campaigns to raise awareness about polio and the importance of vaccination to prevent it.

Goals

The primary goal of World Polio Day is to complete the eradication of polio. This involves stopping all transmission of wild poliovirus types 1 and 3, and ensuring that the stockpiles of type 2 poliovirus are securely contained. It also includes strengthening routine immunization and surveillance systems to quickly detect any instance of polio and prevent its spread.

Challenges

Eradicating polio faces several challenges, including logistical difficulties in reaching children in remote or conflict-affected areas, vaccine refusal, and the need for high levels of immunization to stop transmission. Additionally, there are challenges related to the detection and response to vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks, which can occur in under-immunized communities.

Conclusion

World Polio Day serves as a reminder of the progress made toward eradicating polio and the work that remains to be done. It is a day to celebrate the achievements of the global health community in fighting this disease and to reaffirm the commitment to ensuring that no child suffers from polio in the future.

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