In 1988, polio paralyzed
children — every single day
This is the story of how the world came together to fight back — and nearly won.
Each dot represents one child. There are 1,000 on this screen.
Estimated global polio cases
01980
The connection
Vaccination Up, Cases Down
As vaccination rates climbed, polio cases plummeted. This is what the largest immunization effort in human history looks like.
Source: World Health Organization · Our World in Data
“Who owns the patent on this vaccine?”
Well, the people. There is no patent.
Could you patent the sun?
Jonas Salk
On refusing to patent the polio vaccine, 1955
The Beginning
1988
The world declares war on polio
350,000+ children paralyzed every year across 125+ countries. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative launches — the largest coordinated public health effort in history.
First Proof
1994
The Americas go polio-free
From Canada to Chile, an entire hemisphere proves that eradication is possible. The first WHO region certified.
Momentum
2002
Europe and the Pacific follow
Three of six WHO regions are now certified polio-free. 870 million people in Europe alone. The dominoes are falling.
The Impossible
2011
India records its last case
From 741 cases to zero in two years. Population: 1.2 billion. The campaign many said couldn't be won — won.
Eradicated
2015
Wild polio type 2 is gone forever
The first of three wild strains declared eradicated. Type 3 follows in 2019. Only wild poliovirus type 1 remains.
Against All Odds
2020
Africa declared free of wild polio
47 countries. 1.8 billion people. Certified even in the middle of a global pandemic. Five of six WHO regions cleared.
The Last Mile
2025
Two countries remain
Afghanistan and Pakistan. 99.9% reduced since 1988. The finish line is visible — but the hardest fraction lies ahead.
1988
1/7
2025
45 Years of Progress
Global polio cases: peak to present
1
From 1 at its peak to 1 in 2024.
But the last fraction may be the hardest part of all.
Wild polio cases, 2023
12
The lowest in recorded history
725% increase — Pakistan and Afghanistan
A single year undid years of progress. The virus doesn't wait.
The untold challenge
Why the Last 1% Is the Hardest
Wild polio is nearly gone. But the oral vaccine that saved billions can itself mutate in under-vaccinated communities, sparking new outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus.
Wild Poliovirus vs. Vaccine-Derived
Source: GPEI · WHO Weekly Epidemiological Record
* 2025 data is partial (through mid-year)
The breakthrough
A Vaccine That Can't Fight Back
The novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) is engineered to be genetically stable — it cannot mutate into vaccine-derived poliovirus. Deployed under emergency use in 2021, it earned full WHO prequalification in 2023. In Nigeria alone, it contributed to an 85% reduction in variant cases.
1.3B
doses across 41 countries
$6.9B
needed to reach every last child
The US withdrawal from WHO cut $133M per year from GPEI. The strategy to finish the job now faces a 30% budget cut in 2026 — right when it matters most.
The official target
2027
Wild poliovirus eradication
2029
Vaccine-derived elimination
These targets are achievable — but only if the world stays committed. The tools exist. The science is there. The only question is whether we finish what we started.
We are this close. History will judge us by whether we finished what we started.
Bill Gates
Co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
While you've been reading
~0
children have received a polio vaccine dose worldwide
Based on ~3 billion doses administered per year
18¢
Cost per vaccine dose
20M+
Health workers mobilized
16M
People walking who would be paralyzed
$27B
Net economic benefits
Take action
The fight isn't over.
We are closer to eradicating polio than any disease in human history. Finishing the job takes all of us.
Global Polio Eradication Initiative
The world's largest public health initiative
Visit site →Rotary International: End Polio Now
The citizen movement that started it all
Visit site →UNICEF Polio Programme
Reaching every last child
Visit site →World Health Organization
Leading the global health response
Visit site →
A world without polio is possible. It is a promise we must keep.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative