Polio
Why it Matters?
Polio eradication efforts, ongoing since 1988, face setbacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan—the only countries with uninterrupted transmission. Despite earlier progress, cases surged in 2023 due to misinformation, mismanagement, falsified records, unqualified vaccinators, and issues with the oral vaccine.
What You Should Know?
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries where wild poliovirus transmission has never been interrupted.
Polio
It is a highly infectious viral disease caused by the poliovirus, primarily affecting children under 5 years of age.
It can cause permanent paralysis and even death in severe cases.
The virus is transmitted through the fecal-oral route, often through contaminated water or food.
There are three strains of wild poliovirus: WPV1, WPV2, and WPV3.
Wild Poliovirus Type 2 (WPV2) was declared globally eradicated in 2015.
Wild Poliovirus Type 3 (WPV3) was declared globally eradicated in 2019.
WPV1 continues to circulate just two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
India reported its last case of wild poliovirus on 13 January 2011 in West Bengal.
India was declared polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 27 March 2014, along with the entire South-East Asia Region.
The World Polio Day is observed on October 24 every year.