Polio is a serious disease, which usually makes people its victims even at a young age. This is the reason why World Polio Day is celebrated every year on 24 October to spread awareness among people about it. This day tells people about the bad consequences of this serious disease. It also tells people about the ways to deal with it. India may have been declared polio free, but even today many people around the world are affected by this disease.

In such a situation, World Polio Day celebrated every year is a great opportunity to raise awareness about this disease, its prevention and highlight global efforts to eliminate this disease. Let's know the history, importance of this day and what is its theme this year-

History of World Polio Day

This day was started in the year 1985. This day is celebrated in honor of the efforts of Jonas Salk, the lead medical researcher on the team that created the first polio vaccine by Rotary International. Since then, this day is celebrated every year on October 24.

World Polio Day 2024 Theme

This day to spread awareness about polio is celebrated every year with a special theme. This year too a theme has been decided for this day. This year the theme for World Polio Day is "A Global Mission to Reach Every Child".

What is polio?

Polio, also known as poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under the age of 5. It causes paralysis and sometimes death in the affected child. Since the launch of initiatives like the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988 to prevent this disease, it has helped reduce polio cases worldwide. After this initiative, the number of polio cases has declined by more than 99% and polio is now endemic in only a few countries.

Status of polio in India

India was declared polio-free in 2014. Polio vaccine is used in oral and injectable form in the country to protect children from this disease. However, a recent case of vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) in Meghalaya a few months ago has posed a new challenge in the country.