World Polio Day 2025

Observed on October 24, highlights the global effort to eradicate poliomyelitis—a deadly viral disease affecting children. Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (1988), cases have dropped by 99.9%, saving over 1.5 million lives. Though most regions, including India, are polio-free, the virus remains in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The 2025 theme, “End Polio: Every Child, Every Vaccine, Everywhere,” urges continued global vaccination and cooperation to make polio the second disease ever eradicated after smallpox.