World Polio Day 24th October

Polio was once a disease feared worldwide, striking suddenly and paralysing mainly children for life. There are several partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, the largest private-public partnership for health, which has reduced polio by 99%.

Polio now survives only among the world’s poorest and most marginalized communities, where it stalks the most vulnerable children. The Initiative’s goal is to reach every last child with polio vaccine and ensure a polio-free world for future generations.

World Polio Day aims to shed light on October 24th, which marks the month in which Jonas Salk was born (28th October). Jonas was the leader of the team that invented the first polio vaccine in 1955.

In 1988 Albert Sabin developed an oral polio vaccine.
This is what we’re using today.
It has reduced polio worldwide by 99%.

Join in helping us to raise the awareness on October 24th to ultimately make the world polio-free for everyone, everywhere!

“On this World Polio Day, I would like to make a personal plea to everyone holding a stake in polio eradication.These stakeholders include, of course, the parents whose responsibility it is to ensure their children are protected against polio. But in order to stop the explosive ongoing polio outbreak in Fata, all parts of government, civil society, communities throughout the country, as well as the Taliban, must now be actively involved in addressing the sizable challenges we face.All that is needed are a few good campaigns reaching every child through negotiated access – based on the core humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence. The polio eradication effort in Pakistan will continue, whether it takes us one year or longer than that. But at this very moment, we have to save our children from this crippling disease and stop this major outbreak.”

head of Polio Eradication at the World Health Organization

Communication plays a critical role in the effort to eradicate polio. The partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative ensure families, know the impacts of the poliovirus, and why it is important to accept the Oral Polio Vaccine each time it is offered, for all children under five years of age.

Polio Eradication Update week of 16th October:

Eleven new wild poliovirus (WPV) cases were reported in the past week (one from Afghanistan, two from Ethiopia, four from Pakistan and four from Somalia).

The total number of WPV cases for 2013 is now 296 (all WPV1), with 99 from endemic countries and 197 from outbreak countries.

Although the total WPV count is now higher than the same period 2012, the quantity of cases from the three endemic countries is 60% of the same time period 2012. Afghanistan has one third and Nigeria half the amount of cases when compared to 2012. Pakistan, with the majority of cases from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has almost identical numbers to this time 2012.

The situation in North Waziristan, FATA, is becoming increasingly severe, as it is the area with the largest number of children being paralyzed by poliovirus in all of Asia; 13 WPV cases and 22 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2)

http://www.polioeradication.org