World Polio Day (24 October) was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the development of a polio vaccine (poliomyelitis). Subsequent development of an oral vaccine by Albert Sabin then led to establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988. Since then, GPEI has reduced polio worldwide by 99 percent. World Polio Day is an annual observance when members of Rotary International, along with public health advocates and individuals who are committed to a polio-free world, commemorate the success of a global campaign to fully eradicate polio.