In 1988, the global community united under the World Health Organization (WHO) leadership to eradicate polio. World Polio Day on October 24 highlights the progress made and the challenges that remain in ending its spread.
Polio can attack the nervous system and cause paralysis, especially 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,” stated WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, launched three decades ago, is now managed by WHO and other organizations and governments.
Since the initiative’s launch, polio cases have decreased by over 99 percent, with only 36 cases reported in 2025.
However, some regions still struggle to eradicate polio, and areas that have succeeded must continue supporting health authorities in disease surveillance and prevention, says WHO.
Dr. Catharina Boehme, leading WHO in Southeast Asia, urged member states to renew 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 stated.
Gaps in vaccination coverage
The WHO European region achieved polio-free status in 2002, but in 2024, vaccination coverage declined, leaving over 450,000 babies unprotected.
In Afghanistan, a ban on home vaccination has meant over a million children in southern regions missed polio vaccination campaigns since May 2018, according to WHO.
As a result, in 2019 and 2020, 90 percent and 75 percent of type 1 polio cases in Afghanistan were from areas inaccessible to vaccination.
“Gaps in immunization coverage leave children vulnerable and pose a risk to regional and global health security.
“We must not return to a time when polio regularly threatened lives and overwhelmed health systems,” said Ihor Perehinets, WHO/Europe Regional Emergency Director.
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