The journey towards eradicating polio

Worldwide collaboration has reduced cases by more than 99% over four decades, but there is still some work to do

Every year on October 24, the global health community observes World Polio Day, established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, the scientist whose team developed the first effective vaccine against polio in 1955. This is the day the spotlight shines on the worldwide ambition to eradicate the disease.

Poliomyelitis, commonly known as polio, is a highly infectious viral disease that spreads primarily via the faecal-oral route and sometimes by droplets. While many infections are asymptomatic or mild, a small fraction – about 1 in 200 – can progress to irreversible flaccid paralysis, often of the limbs, and in rare cases impair breathing, leading to death. The greatest risk lies with children under five who have not been fully vaccinated and live in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene.

Thanks to the concerted efforts of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Unicef, Rotary International, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and national governments, mass immunisation campaigns, surveillance systems and outbreak responses have dramatically reduced the global polio burden and according to the chart, reported cases have plunged from 67,443 in 1981 to just 539 in 2023, a drop of 99.2% per cent.

This huge decline is considered a public health achievement, but the mission is not yet complete because eradication is an "all or nothing" proposition.

The annual GPEI report reaffirms the goal to reach zero cases, especially in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where gaps in vaccination coverage persists in crucial areas.

Pakistan has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Still, eradication has become difficult due to its "perfect epidemiological storm": limited clean water access, high rates of malnutrition, large-scale population movement, dense urban areas and periodic flooding. Nonetheless, cases such as India prove that eradication is possible.

Children in areas of war or conflict are also at risk of being infected, so vaccination campaigns are needed in these regions. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 60,000 children are at risk in the territory today, and the Israeli aid blockade has threatened to reverse months of progress.

In other regions such as Yemen, the WHO launched a three-day polio vaccination campaign in July, targeting 1.3 million children.