III 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 846 

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the eradication of wild poliovirus 

from the Americas. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. WICKER, Mr. REED, Ms. SINEMA, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. KAINE, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. 

WELCH, and Mr. BOOKER) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of the eradication of 

wild poliovirus from the Americas. 

Whereas nearly 60,000 children in the United States were reported to have polio in 1952 alone, with more than 

20,000 cases of paralysis; 

Whereas, thanks to vaccination, polio was eliminated from 

the United States in 1979; 

Whereas the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a 

unique public-private partnership that includes the Federal Government, Rotary International, the World Health 

Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s 

Fund (commonly known as ‘‘UNICEF’’), the Bill and 

Melinda Gates Foundation, and GAVI, was established in 


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•SRES 846 IS 

1988 with a goal of eradicating polio globally, at a time 

when there were more than 350,000 cases of polio recorded annually; 

Whereas Rotary International, a global association founded in 

Illinois, has contributed more than $2,700,000,000 and 

volunteered countless hours in the global fight against 

polio since 1979; 

Whereas, since the goal of global polio eradication was set in 

1988, incidences of polio have been reduced by more than 

99.9 percent through the use of the inactivated polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and the oral polio vaccine 

developed by Albert Sabin; 

Whereas the Americas were the first region to be certified 

free from wild poliovirus by the WHO in 1994, with the 

last case of wild poliovirus in the Americas confirmed in 

Peru in 1991; 

Whereas, since 1994, 4 other regions of the world have been 

certified free from wild poliovirus and 2 of the 3 strains 

of wild poliovirus have been certified eradicated worldwide; 

Whereas, as of September 2024, only Afghanistan and Pakistan have been unable to fully stop transmission of wild 

poliovirus, a decrease from more than 125 countries in 

1988; 

Whereas the GPEI reaches the world’s most vulnerable children, including those who have been displaced, living in 

areas of insecurity or conflict, where cases of variant poliovirus remain of concern; 

Whereas, as of September 2024, according to the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 20,000,000 

people are walking who have been spared from paralysis 


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•SRES 846 IS 

and 1,500,000 deaths have been averted worldwide 

thanks to the efforts of the GPEI; 

Whereas, in addition to combating polio, the global workforce 

and infrastructure of the GPEI has frequently served as 

first responders for natural disasters and other public 

health crises, including outbreaks of Ebola and the 

COVID–19 pandemic; 

Whereas, when polio is eradicated, it will be only the second 

human disease in history to make such an achievement, 

the first being smallpox; 

Whereas progress toward global polio eradication is a testament to what can be achieved through sustained global 

commitment and collaboration; and 

Whereas, as long as poliovirus circulates anywhere, it remains 

a threat to children everywhere: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commemorates the 30th anniversary of the 

3 Americas being certified polio-free by the World 

4 Health Organization on September 29, 1994; 

5 (2) commends the work of the Pan American 

6 Health Organization (PAHO) and its member states 

7 on keeping the Americas wild poliovirus free; 

8 (3) supports the goals and ideals of the Global 

9 Polio Eradication Initiative; 

10 (4) encourages and supports the international 

11 community of governments and nongovernmental or12 ganizations in remaining committed to the eradi13 cation of polio; and 


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1 (5) encourages the Federal Government to con2 tinue committing funding to the Global Polio Eradi3 cation Initiative. 

Æ 


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