Global resource launched to support millions living with long-term effects of polio
24th October 2026
LONDON, 24 October 2026: As the world marks World Polio Day, an international collaboration is launching a one-stop resource comprising medical and scientific evidence, educational resources, lived experience insights, and expertise of support networks to help improve the understanding of challenges faced by polio survivors, their families, and healthcare professionals.
The website is developed by the International Post Polio Education Collective (IPPEC), a voluntary global collaboration dedicated to strengthening and standardising polio and post-polio care, knowledge and support worldwide.
Poliomyelitis (polio), a highly infectious viral disease that largely affects children under five years of age, has now been practically eliminated with widespread immunisation. The wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) is endemic in only two countries, Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, many polio survivors are at risk of experiencing the Late Effects of Polio (LEoP) and/or its subset Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS), which can lead to decreased mobility and muscle function several decades after their initial illness.
By integrating comprehensive scientific evidence and lived experience on one accessible platform, IPPEC recognises that both forms of knowledge play an important role in improving understanding of life after the initial polio infection.
The website provides a practical resource for individuals, families, clinicians, researchers and organisations seeking evidence-based information and shared learning.
It focuses on three main areas: clinical evidence and educational resources, knowledge and insights from lived experience of polio, and links to post-polio support groups and professional networks in the Americas, Europe, Australia and beyond.
The primary objective of IPPEC is to help bridge the gap in the experience and care of post-polio conditions, and ensure that valuable knowledge about polio and its long-term effects is preserved, shared and remains accessible to future generations worldwide.
World Polio Day, which recognises the continuing global effort to eradicate polio, is also an opportunity to acknowledge the millions of people living with its lifelong consequences. It highlights the importance of preserving their experiences, knowledge and expertise so they can continue to inform healthcare and research for years to come.
Many healthcare professionals have limited exposure to people with polio and post-polio conditions. Access to information, services and specialist knowledge varies considerably between healthcare systems, leaving many polio survivors struggling to find reliable guidance and support.
IPPEC seeks to empower healthcare professionals and post-polio communities with the aim of reducing disparities in care and support. It hopes this one-stop resource will support greater awareness, understanding and informed care of polio survivors.
Website: https://polioeducation.org/