Devex: How to make a virus disappear
Jay Wenger, director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s polio eradication efforts within the Global Development Program

“…Polio’s shrinking geographic territory and genetic diversity show that eradication — one of the most ambitious public health goals ever pursued — is not only achievable but, with continued high quality immunization campaigns, success is right around the corner. We’ve already gotten rid of two of the three types of polio virus. To turn polio from endangered to extinct, we need to stay focused. … We know our process works: track the virus, immunize children, and the virus dies. If governments, donors, and millions of health workers keep it up, we will put polio in the history books” (11/19).