World Polio Day: Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988
Mumbai, October 24: World polio day is established on 24th October over a decade ago by Rotary international, celebrating the birth of Jonas Salk (an American medical researcher and virologist). He discovered and developed one of the first successful polio vaccines.
The poliovirus vaccine was used by Albert Sabin (Polish American medical researcher, best known for developing the oral polio vaccine) who was known for developing oral polio vaccine which led to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. According to WHO, GPEI had reduced polio worldwide by 99% in 2013.
As per WHO, Polio (poliomyelitis) affects children under 5 years of age and 1 in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis. Among those paralyzed, 5% to 10% die when their breathing muscles become immobilized. Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 3,50,000 cases then, to 37 reported cases in 2016. As a result of the global effort to eradicate the disease, more than 16 million people have been saved from paralysis.
Polio is a fatal infectious disease which led to crippling. It cannot be cured, but there are safe and effective vaccines through which it can be prevented. Polio vaccine, given multiple times, almost always protects a child for life. The strategy to eradicate polio is therefore based on preventing infection by immunizing.
The reports by WHO stated that more than 16 million people are able to walk today, who would otherwise have been paralyzed. About 2.5 million childhood deaths have been prevented, with the help of systematic administration of vitamin A during polio immunization activities.