World Polio Day is celebrated annually on October 24. Rotary International founded and celebrated World Polio Day to commemorate the birthday of Jonas Salk, the doctor who led the first team to discover a polio vaccine. He created the 1955 inactivated poliovirus vaccine. In 1962, Albert Sabin created the oral polio vaccine.
The goal of World Polio Day is to raise awareness of the need for polio vaccination in order to protect all children from this devastating disease and to recognise the many parents, professionals, and volunteers who have made it possible to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) worldwide.
The poliovirus, a virus that only infects humans, is responsible for the deadly infection known as polio. The virus can affect the spinal cord, resulting in paralysis and, in certain instances, a life-threatening condition.
The virus enters your body through your mouth and spreads by contact with an infected person’s waste, droplets from their cough, or (less frequently) their sneeze.
Outbreaks of polio continue to occur and spread in some nations because not enough people worldwide have received the entire polio vaccine.
In order to completely eradicate polio, vaccine providers must be able to access children who live in communities that are challenging to reach, such as in remote locations or nations ravaged by war and strife.
It is plausible to eradicate all three kinds of poliovirus, as evidenced by the fact that two of the three have already been eradicated globally.
Since 2014, the wild poliovirus (WPV) has not been present in Kenya. However, due to low immunisation coverage that has been exacerbated by population movement, Kenya and the Horn of Africa region continue to have a higher risk of contracting polio.
County governments in Kenya in the early months started extensive county-wide polio immunisation efforts in conjunction with the national health partners.
Parents were urged to take their kids to vaccination clinics to make sure they got all other necessary immunisations, safeguarding them from diseases that can be avoided. In high-risk areas, Dr. David Rotich, who was speaking as the WHO Country Representative, reemphasized the urgent need for all children under five to receive vaccinations.
He also stressed the importance of ensuring that children receive all eligible routine vaccines, as missing immunizations can pose significant risks to public health.
