World Polio Day 2023… A healthier future for mothers and children
World Polio Day falls on October 24th each year, providing an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of vaccination against the disease and launch campaigns to eradicate it.
Polio, a viral infection, can lead to paralysis, and in severe cases, fatal outcomes. It is generally considered a “life-threatening disease,” as the virus can spread from person to person, affecting the person’s spinal cord and causing paralysis.
The theme for World Polio Day 2023 is “A Healthier Future for Mothers and Children,” celebrated on this date in honor of the birth anniversary of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to discover the polio vaccine.
In general, the event highlights global efforts to eliminate polio worldwide while increasing awareness of the importance of vaccination against this deadly disease.
Key Facts and Figures About Polio “The National” presents a set of important numbers and facts on the occasion of World Polio Day, including:
- This disease is caused by the polio virus, which affects the spinal cord’s nerves and can lead to paralysis or even death.
- The symptoms of polio resemble those of the flu, with the virus initially affecting the throat, then the intestines. The infection eventually progresses, affecting the brain and spinal cord.
- Polio is a contagious disease and can easily spread from person to person.
- Polio most often occurs in children under the age of 5, making it crucial to administer all vaccines to children on time.
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- In 1988, the polio virus was present in 125 countries, resulting in an estimated 1,000 children being paralyzed every day.
- In that same year (1988), the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched with the goal of eradicating polio worldwide.
- Over the past 35 years, the number of cases of wild poliovirus has decreased by over 99% due to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, reducing the annual cases of wild polio from 350,000 to less than 10 cases per year.
- Polio continues to persist in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As long as wild poliovirus persists in these two countries, all other countries remain at risk of the virus being imported again.
- According to the World Health Organization, the virus is transmitted from person to person through contaminated fecal-oral routes, water, or food.
- The polio vaccine is one of the most important vaccines that must be administered to all children. To ensure a world free from the disease, immunization efforts should continue, and high-quality surveillance should be implemented to detect any presence of the virus and be prepared to respond in case of an outbreak.
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Polio Outbreak Worldwide Eradication Initiative’s Director of Polio Eradication Program and Chair of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, said that 2023 is the targeted date to stop all remaining cases of polio transmission worldwide.
Olivier mentioned in WHO’s “Science in 5” program, “We have a real opportunity for success because in the two remaining countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan), the geographic spread of the virus is more limited than ever before.”
She talked about the achievements made in combating this disease, saying, “Polio is a virus that has been with us since ancient Egyptian times, and hundreds of thousands of children were at risk and were paralyzed all over the world as a result.”
She added, “In the 1980s, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established, and there were 365,000 cases in 125 countries, but today we have only a few cases in two countries, and the world is very close to eradicating the virus.”
Prominent Symptoms of Polio There are several distinctive signs of polio, including:
- Sore throat
- Fever
- Headache
- Stomach pain
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Stiff neck and back
- Muscle pain
- Difficulty moving legs or arms
- Finally, paralysis
