35 years without a wild polio case: the Americas guard a hard-won milestone

In 1975, nearly 6,000 polio cases were reported across the Americas; the last case caused by the wild virus came in Peru in 1991, and in 1994 the region became the first in the world certified free of wild poliovirus. Marking World Polio Day, the Pan American Health Organization celebrated 35 years without a wild case — and vaccination coverage is climbing again, with 91% of children receiving their first polio dose in 2025, up from 86% the year before. Worldwide, polio cases have fallen 99.9% since 1988, and an estimated 20 million people are walking today who would otherwise have been paralysed.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: institutional program