World Polio Day (October 24): History, Facts & the Fight to End Polio

Every year on October 24, health workers, Rotary clubs, governments and families around the world mark World Polio Day. The day celebrates one of the greatest public-health success stories in history — the near-eradication of polio — and reminds us that the job is not finished until every child is protected.

World Polio Day facts
Date	October 24 every year
Established by	Rotary International
Honours	Dr. Jonas Salk, who led the team that developed the first effective polio vaccine
Global effort	Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), launched in 1988
Drop in wild polio cases since 1988	More than 99%
Countries where wild polio is still endemic	Pakistan and Afghanistan
Hashtags	#EndPolio #WorldPolioDay

What Is Polio?

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It spreads mainly through contaminated food and water or contact with an infected person’s faeces, and it mostly affects children under five. Most infected people have no symptoms, but about 1 in 200 infections leads to irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs. Among those paralysed, 5–10% die when their breathing muscles stop working. There is no cure — but polio can be prevented with safe, cheap and effective vaccines.

From Epidemic Fear to Near-Eradication

Year	Milestone
1916	A major epidemic in New York kills over 2,000 people
1921	Future U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt is paralysed by an illness diagnosed as polio
1938	The March of Dimes is founded to fund polio research
1955	Jonas Salk’s inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is declared safe and effective
Early 1960s	Albert Sabin’s oral polio vaccine (OPV) — drops instead of injections — is licensed
1985	Rotary launches PolioPlus to immunise all the world’s children
1988	Global Polio Eradication Initiative begins; about 350,000 children paralysed each year in 125 countries
1994	The Americas certified polio-free
2014	South-East Asia Region, including India and Bangladesh, certified polio-free
2015 & 2019	Wild poliovirus types 2 and 3 declared eradicated
2020	Africa certified free of wild poliovirus

“There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?” — Jonas Salk, when asked who owned the polio vaccine

The Partners Behind the Fight

• Rotary International — has contributed more than US$2 billion and countless volunteer hours.
• World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF — vaccine supply, surveillance and vaccination campaigns.
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
• Millions of health workers and volunteers who go door to door, often in remote and dangerous areas.

The Last Mile: Challenges That Remain

• Wild poliovirus type 1 still circulates in parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
• Variant (vaccine-derived) poliovirus outbreaks can occur in communities with low immunisation coverage; the answer is higher vaccination rates and the newer, more stable nOPV2 vaccine.
• Conflict, misinformation and remote terrain make it hard to reach every child.
• Strong surveillance — testing sewage and investigating every case of sudden paralysis — must continue until certification.

How You Can Help on World Polio Day

1. Check that your children’s polio vaccinations are complete.
2. Share accurate vaccine information with #EndPolio.
3. Support Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign — donations are often matched by the Gates Foundation.
4. Join or host a local Rotary event, fun run or purple-themed fundraiser (purple recalls the ink marked on children’s fingers after vaccination).
5. Learn about polio survivors in your community and the support they need.

👉 Also on October 24: United Nations Day

👉 More health days: Explore health and wellness observances

FAQ

This article is for general awareness and is not medical advice. Follow your national immunisation schedule and ask a health worker if you have questions.