World Polio Day was marked on Wednesday, October 24th and many organizations recognize the importance of this day to keep children safe from this disease.
This year’s theme, “A Global Mission to Reach Every Child,” focused on the consistent efforts to ensure all children receive vaccination against polio, especially in regions where the virus remains a threat.
Usually contracted through tainted water, polio primarily affects children under five.
It attacks the nervous system and causes irreversible paralysis in one in 200 cases, with 5–10% of those who are paralyzed dying as a result of their breathing muscles becoming immobile.
The poliovirus has no known cure, but there is a vaccine that is both safe and effective.
All country’s children are susceptible to polio, and if the disease is not eradicated, even one child infected could lead to a resurgence.
Children must receive vaccinations to protect them from the disease.
Even though 1.28 million children under five received vaccinations, more children are still at risk if more vaccinations are not administered.
In 2018, PNG confirmed that the poliovirus was recirculating after an 18-year hiatus.
All children worldwide are at risk if even one child is still infected.
Unless polio is eradicated, within 10 years, as many as 200,000 new cases could occur around the world each year.
In the past few years, only two countries have had reported cases caused by the wild virus, but no child anywhere is safe until every child is vaccinated.