Polio Eradication: Glossary of Terms

Once a global scourge, polio is on the precipice of eradication, with Pakistan and Afghanistan remaining some of the final frontiers of global eradication efforts. However, against the backdrop of regional conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic that have derailed many immunization and surveillence efforts, several countries are now facing the potential reemergence of this once pervasive disease. This resource pack curates resources highlighting the immense progress in global polio prevention and examining the key roles of…

This instructor’s note supports a teaching pack on polio eradication, with a focus on the health care system challenges of eradicating an infectious and debilitating disease in conflict settings. After reading a four-part National Geographic series about polio eradication efforts in Pakistan and Syria, students participate in one or both of two lessons, “Polio Risk in a Messy World” and “Eradicating Polio in Conflict Settings,” to compare and contrast the diverse factors contributing to polio…

This is the first of two lesson plans on polio eradication in conflict settings, part of a teaching pack on polio vaccination and disease outbreaks in Pakistan and Syria during the past decade. The lessons are based on a National Geographic series about threats that vaccinators face in civil and political crisis settings. In this lesson students read about vaccination challenges in Pakistan and learn to apply a conceptual framework for global health to invite…