A polio vaccinator marks a young child in Karachi, Pakistan.
Read about our work to eradicate polio worldwide

Bill Gates talks with polio survivors

Why is polio eradication important? On his recent trip to Brussels, Bill Gates sat down with polio survivors and their families (hosted by Jacob Beautemps from Breaking Lab) to learn about their experiences with this preventable disease.

“I contracted polio, which changed my life forever. I could only crawl. They started looking at me, imitated me, but that was just the beginning.”
Julius Mvenyi Ntobuah

Read next

A community health worker puts a mark on a child's finger after administering the polio vaccine during a door-to-door polio vaccination (nOPV2) campaign in Mogadishu, Somalia, in May 2023.

Ask a polio outbreak expert

Dr. Asma Ali answers readers’ questions about her work responding to polio outbreaks in some of the world’s hardest-to-reach places.
Naveen Thacker

We are at a crossroads for polio eradication in India. My experience shows why it’s still achievable.

Despite facing challenges, the fight against polio in India has provided valuable lessons and brings hope for eradicating the disease globally. Read about the progress and challenges in polio eradication in India.
By Dr. Naveen Thacker President-Elect, International Pediatric Association
NOPV2 Vaccination of NOPV2 at Guilding Angel School Tunga, Minna, Niger State

Q&A: Polio has been detected in places it was eliminated. Should we be worried?

A polio expert answers the most pressing questions about polio right now.
By Ananda Bandyopadhyay Deputy Director, Technology, Research, and Analytics, Polio Team, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation