In 1988, the international community united under the leadership of the World Health Organization (WHO) with the goal of eradicating polio. World Polio Day, which falls on October 24, raises awareness of the progress made and the challenges that remain to end its spread.
Polio can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis, most commonly in children.
Business is down, but the fight must continue
“Decades ago, the world overcame geopolitical and geographic barriers to end smallpox. Let’s do the same for polio. Let’s finish the job” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Thirty years ago, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was established and is now led by WHO and other non-U.S. organizations and governments.
Since the initiative’s launch, the number of polio cases has fallen by more than 99 percent, with only 36 cases of the virus reported so far in 2025.
However, some regions of the world are still struggling to eradicate polio, and those that have succeeded must continue to support public health authorities in surveillance and prevention of the disease, says WHO.
Dr Catharina Boehme, who leads WHO in Southeast Asia, called on member states to reaffirm their commitment to vaccination campaigns and invest in surveillance and health systems.
“Together, we can protect every child from polio, everywhere, and build a healthier, more resilient future for all,” she said.
Gaps in vaccination coverage
While the WHO European region achieved polio-free status in 2002 and has remained free of endemic spread of the virus since then, vaccination coverage in the region declined in 2024, leaving more than 450,000 babies unprotected.
In Afghanistan, a ban on home vaccination has meant that more than a million children in southern regions have not participated in polio vaccination campaigns since May 2018, according to the WHO Polio Eradication Strategy 2022-2026.
As a result, in 2019 and 2020 respectively, 90 percent and 75 percent of type 1 polio cases in Afghanistan came from areas currently inaccessible to vaccination.
“Gaps in immunization coverage leave children vulnerable and pose a risk to the health security of our region and beyond.
“We must not return to a time when polio regularly threatened lives and overwhelmed health systems.” said Ihor Perehinets, WHO/Europe regional emergencies director.
