World Polio Day 24 October 2024 - Importance, Theme & History

World Polio Day, observed worldwide on the 24th of October annually to raise awareness of the significance of polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease.

On this day, various local, national, and international healthcare organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Rotary International, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the vaccine alliance come together and conduct several events, campaigns, vaccinations and educational programs to create awareness about the importance of providing vaccines to children to eradicate polio.

Importance of World Polio Day

Polio (Poliomyelitis) is a highly viral infectious disease, mainly affecting children under five. The virus is spread from person to person, mainly through the faecal-oral pathway or, less frequently, by a shared object (such as contaminated food or water). It multiplies in the intestine, from where it can enter the nervous system and cause paralysis.

There are cases of paralytic poliomyelitis due to a loss of viral attenuation in the oral polio vaccine (OPV), known as vaccine-associated paralytic poliovirus (VAPP). Vaccine-associated paralytic poliovirus (VAPP) is very rare, occurring approximately 3.8 times per lakhs of cases in countries using the oral poliovirus vaccine.

Over the past 35 years, cases of wild poliovirus have decreased by more than 99%, from 3,50,000 cases per year to less than ten annual cases of wild polio. 80% of variant polio cases are in only four subnational regions.

Polio is a highly contagious disease affected by the polio virus. Although very rare, the virus may damage the parts of the brain, which can cause death. World Polio Day was established to eradicate polio worldwide and to ensure a polio-free future for everyone, develop high immunisation coverage, implement high-quality observation to detect any presence of the virus and plan for an outbreak response.

History of World Polio Day

World Polio Day was created and celebrated by Rotary International to commemorate the birthday of Jonas Salk, the medical researcher who led the first team to develop a polio vaccine. In 1955, he created the Inactivated Poliovirus Vaccine. In 1962, Albert Sabin created the Oral Polio Vaccine. In 1988, World Health Assembly committed to eradicate the poliovirus, at the time, there were around 3,50,000 cases worldwide. In 2002, WHO European Region was declared polio-free since then on October 24, the World Polio Day is celebrated worldwide.

Preventive measures for polio

Polio is a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis and even death in severe cases. Here are the key measures for preventing polio:

• Intake of timely vaccination (Immunization)
• Being sure to receive any required booster doses of the vaccine
• Improving hygiene and sanitation
• Early detection
• Covering the mouth while sneezing or coughing
• Public awareness and education

Know more about health awareness days

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