When most Americans think of polio, we picture FDR. But today, the disease almost exclusively affects children—mostly those under five in the poorest parts of the world.
That injustice is one big reason I’ve spent the past two decades working to eradicate polio. The other is that eradication is actually possible. Since 1998, we’ve reduced cases by 99.9%, and only two countries still have persistent transmission of the wild polio virus.
Today, we’re closer than ever to wiping out polio for good. But the last mile is proving the hardest. And now, a funding gap is threatening to slow vaccination and surveillance campaigns at the very moment we could finish the job.
This is one of the rare times in history when we can end a disease forever. We have the tools, the infrastructure, and millions of dedicated vaccinators determined to reach every child. We just need the world to stay committed.
You can read my latest blog post, an update on the polio fight, on Gates Notes now.
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