In 1977, smallpox became the first disease in the history of mankind to be eradicated; the world was certified as smallpox-free in 1980. After this public health victory, WHO and its Member States focused on a new adversary: polio. In 1988, the World Health Assembly and WHO’s Regional Committee for the Western Pacific adopted resolutions to eradicate polio.

The Western Pacific Region’s polio eradication initiative was set in motion. The Region’s 37 countries and areas, after endorsing the Regional Committee’s resolution, drafted a strategy to combat polio. According to Dr Omi, there was no shortage of political and moral commitment to the campaign, but financial resources were lacking.

With lobbying and intense discussions, an international partnership emerged to support the efforts of the Western Pacific Region. The strategy to combat polio was two-pronged: immunization with an effective polio vaccine; and development of a surveillance network to detect, report and investigate all suspected polio cases across the Region. International partners were instrumental in assisting the Western Pacific Region to undertake massive immunization campaigns and to establish a vital surveillance network to track polio cases.