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One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio
World Polio Day is observed on October 24th every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) in 1955. This day was established by Rotary International in 1988 to raise awareness about polio eradication efforts and to pledge support towards a polio-free world. As of 2022, only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan, remain polio-endemic, with a significant decline in cases due to concerted global efforts. Rotarians, PolioPlus, and partner organizations worldwide continue to work tirelessly to eradicate this preventable disease.
2024 is a special year for the eradication effort. An outbreak of variant poliovirus type 2 in Gaza has drawn the world’s attention on the reality that as long as polio exists anywhere, all countries will remain at risk.But the outbreak in Gaza has also shown something else: the incredible global commitment to achieving a polio-free world. Against all odds, in September and October, two rounds of outbreak response were implemented in Gaza, each time reaching well over half a million children with the lifesaving polio vaccine and other health interventions. If it can be achieved here, amid all the challenges the people of Gaza currently face, it can be achieved everywhere.
