Poliomyelitis

Over the centuries, polio has crippled many lives. Less than 40 years ago, polio was endemic in 125 countries around the world with more than 350,000 children paralyzed for life each year.(1) The step change in defeating the disease came in 1988, with the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), led by the World Health Organization. Since then, the number of people with paralysis has decreased by 99% and there are now only two countries with endemic wild poliovirus transmission (Pakistan and Afghanistan).(2) Sanofi has been involved in this fight from the beginning and continues to play a critical role in the delivery of polio vaccines.

A woman holding her baby in her arms, Nigeria

Poliovirus: Infection to Disease

01

Virus enters body through the mouth via contaminated food or water, tainted with sewage

1. Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Polio + Prevention. Available at: https://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-prevention/. Last accessed July 2021.
2. Mayo Clinic. Polio. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polio/symptoms-causes/syc-20376512. Last accessed July 2021.

The Fight Against Polio is Not Over

Healthcare workers, patients, and researchers are taking on polio.

1%

of all infections result in irreversible paralysis

90%

of infected people have no symptoms or very mild symptoms

In others,

initial symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, stiffness in the neck and pain in the limbs

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for polio.

Prevention is key!

Sources: WHO Introduction to Poliomyelitis and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative https://openwho.org/courses/polio-introduction - WHO factsheet updated on July 22nd 2019 https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/poliomyelitis and http://polioeradication.org/polio-today/polio-prevention/

Three Serotypes of Wild Poliovirus

Immunity to one serotype does not confer immunity to the other two

type1.

type2.

Eradicated

type3.

Eradicated

The Story of Cosmos Okoli

Cosmos Okoli was diagnosed with polio at the age of four and had to crawl for seven years before he was able to get help. He shares his story and his fight against the disease.