Silently watching his friends play, a little boy was sitting by the window. Looking at his frail and paralysed legs, he realises that he will never be able to play or even move. The cause of this child’s misery is polio.
Polio is one of the most contagious and deadly diseases faced by mankind. At its core, it mostly starts with fever, fatigue, and other mild symptoms. But in critical cases, it leads to severe paralysis and even death. The most adverse effects are seen in children. Polio has existed since prehistoric times. Dating back to 1580-1350 BC, an Egyptian stele depicts a priest with a withered leg, a feature associated with this disease.
In 1789, the first known clinical description of polio was provided. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, polio was known as one of the most dangerous diseases, known for its frequent outbreaks. In 1916, a massive outbreak in New York City killed over 2000 people. From 1916, every summer brought with it a polio outbreak. By the mid-20th century, polio was found in every country, emphasising the need for a cure.
In the 1950s, the first successful vaccine was created by Jonas Salk, an American physician. Soon, an orally administered vaccine was created. With these vaccinations, the polio outbreaks decreased in great numbers.
The World Health Assembly, in the year 1988, passed a resolution to completely eradicate polio. With WHO’s assistance, vaccine production was also expanded globally, with significant capacity developed in countries including India and Indonesia. In 1995, mass vaccination campaigns took place in China and India. National Immunisation Days were coordinated in 19 European and Mediterranean countries in the same year, and in 23 African countries in 2004. By 1994, polio had been eliminated from the Americas, and by 2000 the Western Pacific was polio-free. By 2003, polio remained endemic in only 6 countries – and three years later, that number had dropped to 4.
In India, the fight against polio was carried out with the Pulse Polio Immunisation Program. The program administered the oral vaccine to over 1 million children and ensured that every child under the age of 5 was vaccinated. The campaign ran with the slogan “Do Boond Zindagi Ke” to highlight the vaccine’s convenience. India achieved the status of a polio-free nation in 2014.
Even though there is a cure available to prevent the physical symptoms of polio, its psychological symptoms are far more devastating. Chronic stress, anxiety, and depression are some of the most common psychological effects of polio. This not only causes distress but also affects the individual’s ability to cope with the disease.
World Polio Day is celebrated on 24th October every year to raise awareness of the devastating effects of polio and the importance of the polio vaccine. This day honours the extensive efforts taken to end the polio epidemic.
As Jonas Salk once said,
“Hope lies in dreams, imagination and in the courage of those who dare to make those dreams a reality.”
This day reminds people that global action begins with a simple dream, a dream to help people!
- Anaya Ramtirth
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