PAHO Celebrates 30 Years of Wild Polio Eradication in the Caribbean

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is celebrating a significant milestone: the 30th anniversary of the certification of wild polio eradication in the Americas, including the Caribbean.

Back in 1975, the region experienced nearly 6,000 polio cases. However, through effective vaccination campaigns and diligent surveillance efforts supported by PAHO and various partners, the last wild poliovirus case was reported in September 1991 in Peru. By 1994, the Americas was officially declared free of wild poliovirus, marking a major public health achievement. This milestone highlights the importance of vaccination and global cooperation in disease eradication efforts.

“Achieving a milestone like this is not easy. It involves a lot of work, commitment, and tenacity from thousands of health workers, researchers, partners, and all the people responsible for vaccinating their children,” PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa said. However, Barbosa warned about the persistence of poliovirus in other parts of the world. “Until we eradicate the poliovirus globally, we must maintain high vaccination coverage and adequate surveillance to detect any imported cases,” he emphasized.