World Polio Day 2026
Explore World Polio Day 2026: understand the theme, global eradication efforts, and the life-saving importance of routine immunization. Learn more today!
World Polio Day 2026
- World Polio Day is observed annually on October 24 to raise global awareness about poliomyelitis and drive the international push toward complete eradication.
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World Polio Day – Important Facts
- Observed on = 24 October every year.
- Purpose = To raise awareness about polio and strengthen global efforts to eradicate the disease.
- Disease = Poliomyelitis (polio).
- Cause = Poliovirus.
- Major global initiative = Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI).
- Key organisation associated with the observance = Rotary International.
- World Polio Day 2026 theme = “One Day, One Focus: Ending Polio for Good” — “Together let us build a polio-free future.
What is World Polio Day?
- World Polio Day is observed annually on 24 October to highlight the importance of vaccination, recognise the efforts of healthcare workers and volunteers, and renew the international commitment to making the world free from polio.
What is polio?
- Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under five years of age.
- It spreads primarily through the faecal–oral route, often through contaminated water or food.
- It attacks the nervous system and can cause irreversible paralysis.
- Severe cases can affect the muscles used for breathing and may result in death.
- There is no cure for polio, but vaccination can prevent it.
- World Polio Day 2026
History and global initiatives
- 1988 = The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched.
- GPEI was established through collaboration among the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, UNICEF and other partners.
- 2014 = WHO declared India and the rest of the WHO South-East Asia Region polio-free.
- 2015 = Wild poliovirus type 2 was declared eradicated.
- 2019 = Wild poliovirus type 3 was declared eradicated.
- 2020 = The WHO African Region was certified free of indigenous wild poliovirus.
- 2026 = Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the countries with endemic wild poliovirus transmission.
World Polio Day and India
- Pulse Polio Immunization Programme = Launched in India in 1995.
- Last reported wild poliovirus case in India = 13 January 2011, in Howrah district, West Bengal.
- 2012 = WHO removed India from the list of countries with endemic wild poliovirus transmission.
- 27 March 2014 = The WHO South-East Asia Region, including India, was certified polio-free.
- Vaccination = India uses Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as part of its immunization efforts.
- Surveillance = Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance helps detect possible polio transmission.
- World Polio Day 2026
Types of polio vaccines
- OPV = Oral Polio Vaccine; administered as drops
- IPV = Inactivated Polio Vaccine; administered by injection
Important organisations
- WHO = Provides international public health leadership and technical support.
- UNICEF = Supports vaccine procurement, delivery and immunization campaigns.
- Rotary International = A founding partner of the global polio eradication initiative.
- CDC = Provides scientific and technical support for eradication efforts.
- Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance = Supports immunization programmes in eligible countries.
One-line facts to remember
- World Polio Day — 24 October.
- Polio — a vaccine-preventable viral disease.
- GPEI — launched in 1988.
- Pulse Polio Immunization Programme in India — 1995.
- Last reported wild polio case in India — Howrah, West Bengal, 2011.
- India’s WHO regional polio-free certification — 2014.
- Wild poliovirus types 2 and 3 — declared eradicated in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
- World Polio Day 2026