Poliomyelitis or polio is a highly infectious viral disease that is caused by poliovirus and affects the brain and spinal cord, causing paralysis and a significant reduction in mobility. Every year, 24th October is observed as World Polio Day to create awareness about the infection and take strategic measures to eradicate it. This year, the theme is to “Deliver on a Promise” to eradicate this disease by focusing on increasing vaccination drives for children. Here are a few quick facts about polio: It affects children under five years of age.
1 in 200 infections results in irreversible paralysis. 5% to 10% children die as their respiratory muscles become paralyzed. There is a 99.9% reduction in wild polio-virus transmission globally. Of the three strains of wild polio-virus (type 1, type 2, and type 3), type 2 was eradicated in 1999, and no case of type 3 has been reported since 2012.…
