World Polio Day progress

 

OCTOBER 24, 2025 No child should ever suffer from polio again. When children in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Nigeria receive their poliovirus immunization, health workers place a purple mark on their pinky finger. It’s a simple sign—this child is protected. This World Polio Day, that small ink stain is more than a record of vaccination—it’s a mark of resilience, innovation, and global cooperation. Since 1988, when the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) began, the number of children paralyzed by polio each year has fallen by more than 99%. Thanks to continued innovation and persistence: Wild poliovirus type 2 was declared eradicated in 2015, followed by type 3 in 2019 New tools like nOPV2, a next-generation oral vaccine, are preventing outbreaks worldwide More than 370 million children receive polio vaccines each year 20 million people are walking today who would otherwise have been paralyzed Today, wild poliovirus type 1—the last remaining strain—is found only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. But, as Foundation Chair Bill Gates says, "polio anywhere is a threat everywhere." Without global eradication, the virus could rebound to 200,000 new cases each year, reversing decades of progress. We’re closer than ever to achieving a world where no child is at risk of contracting polio ever again. The fight must continue. - The Optimist Editors