World Polio Day 2020 is commemorated on the 24th of October. It marks the birth of Jonas Salk, the American virologist who helped create the world's first effective polio vaccine.
While majority of the world has been successful at eradicating the virus with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative established by the World Health Organisation, Rotary International and others, as of August this year, wild poliovirus still persists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
India managed to eradicate the disease in 2014 due to consistent efforts made by the government and various stakeholders. The theme for this year is 'A win against polio is a win for global health'.
The viral disease, as per the WHO, is transmitted mainly through the fecal-oral route and mainly affects children under the age of 5. It may cause damage to the central nervous system and a vaccine is the only way to prevent it.