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Polio is a disease caused by a virus that can cause total paralysis in under 1% of those infected; it can also be fatal. While there is no cure it can be prevented by vaccination. The 24 October 2016 marks World Polio Day; established over a decade ago by Rotary International in commemoration of the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.
This World Polio Day celebrates the progress made through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) over the past three decades. Since the launch of GPEI the incidence of polio has decreased from over 350,000 cases a year to 26 confirmed as of 19 September 2016. This year to date has seen fewer children paralysed by polio than ever before. Only Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan have ongoing transmission. However there remains the possiblity that these three countries might export the disease to countries with poor vaccination uptake. Furthermore, the recent outbreak of wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) in Nigeria highlights how easily WPV can remain in circulation without detection when surveillance and vaccination campaigns are compromised by inaccessibility.
Since GPEI’s inception the global incidence of polio has decreased by over 99% and 80% of the worl'd population lives in areas that are truly polio-free. The task remains to eradicate polio in its last few strongholds so that the all people may live free from the threat of polio.
When to consider vaccination
Vaccination should be considered under the following circumstances and is dependant on the individual risk assessment:
