Alessandro Rosa, PhD (@alessandrorosaphd.bsky.social)

WHO's Science in 5 - Polio: Almost gone, not finished - 16 January 2026 Episode #146 / Januray 16, 2026 / Poliomyelitis Polio: 99.9% Defeated. What Will It Take to End It for Good? This disease once paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children every year, striking fear into families across the world. Thanks to global vaccination efforts, cases have fallen by 99.9% since 1988. But polio is not gone yet. In this episode of Science in 5, we speak with Dr. Jamal Ahmad about why polio eradication still matters, how close the world truly is to ending this disease forever, and what’s at stake if we don’t finish the job. Polio spreads easily, respects no borders, and remains a threat as long as it exists anywhere. With only a few cases left in two countries, the tools, knowledge, and partnerships are stronger than ever—but sustained political commitment and global cooperation are essential. Ending polio would mean no child is ever paralyzed by this disease again—and billions saved for health systems worldwide. 👉 Make sure all children are vaccinated 👉 Call on governments to keep supporting eradication 👉 Get involved through partners like Rotary Because eradication is all or nothing—and we are closer than ever. More info: https://www.who.int/health-topics/poliomyelitis Activez les sous-titres dans VOTRE langue ! ¡Activa los subtítulos en TU idioma! Активируйте субтитры на ВАШЕМ языке! قم بتفعيل الترجمة في لغتك! 激活自动翻译功能，使用您的语言字幕！ Aktivieren Sie Untertitel in IHRER Sprache! Washa manukuu katika lugha YAKO! अपनी भाषा में सबटाइटल सक्रिय करें! You can watch Science in 5 in your language by using the "Auto-translate" feature in YouTube: https://youtu.be/CHsrz1VV--g Activate the subtitles first and then choose your language! Go to bottom right of the video + Settings + Subtitles/CC + Auto-translate and then choose the language of your choice. Some other episodes were also published in these linguistic playlists: Spanish: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6hS8Moik7ktt7QccOeLSyI1agc6yRHjj French: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiIQJ9sPqPFxQyKvHIVxI-mbiTsAI6Six Portuguese: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6hS8Moik7kux2qXeA0jHCNyK4GVorTJM Thai: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9S6xGsoqIBXRQzSDOfFb13iPrbL8fgy1 Nepali: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv3LbY_wohnNmC0c5yAjlyYO-AsKynshD Maithili: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv3LbY_wohnOzLMPfIg4evuGnNUifuaXX Bahasa: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLekyghuTrqcaanPy2F-LiW368Emsg1A2J Tetum: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDj7fL7ecKij-CD-4DBTzPwg_tnFUOowt https://bit.ly/49v1vQL