World Polio Day- October 24th

• The World Polio Day is observed on 24^th October each year.
• The day is observed to raise awareness of the importance of polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease and to honor those people whose efforts led to eradication of polio in many parts of the world.
• In 1988, poliovirus was present in 125 countries, paralyzing an estimated 1,000 children per day.
• That year, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched with a goal to eradicate polio worldwide.
• Polio remains consistently present in just two countries – Afghanistan and Pakistan.
• The theme for World Polio Day 2023 is “A healthier future for mothers and children.”

ABOUT POLIO

• Polio, a life-threatening disease, is caused by the poliovirus.
• The poliovirus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis.
• It majorly happens through the faecal-oral route or contaminated water or food and then the virus multiplies in the intestine.
  • From there, it can reach the nervous system and lead to paralysis.
• It mostly affects kids under the age of five.