In 1988 the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate polio, a viral disease which still paralysed some 350,000 children every year in 125 countries. Led by the WHO, Rotary International, the US CDC and UNICEF, with the help of the Gates Foundation later, the campaign vaccinated billions of children with the oral vaccine developed by Albert Sabin. The number of cases has dropped by more than 99 per cent. Wild poliovirus types 2 and 3 have been eliminated, in 2015 and 2019, and the Americas, Europe, Africa and South-East Asia have been certified polio-free. Type 1 persists in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and conflict and distrust of vaccines have hindered the final push.
Before and after
- 1988Rise of anti-globalization movement
- 1988Creation of GNU Octave
- 1988Publication of A Brief History of Time
- 1988Creation of Tcl
- 1988The Global Polio Eradication Initiative begins
- 19881988 becomes the warmest year on record
- 15 February 1988Death of Richard Feynman
- from 20 February 1988 to 16 May 1994First Nagorno-Karabakh War
- from 27 February 1988 to 1 March 1988Sumgait pogrom
More in Society, economy & sport
- 22 March 1945Founding of Arab League
- 14 September 1960Founding of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
- 10 December 1987Rise of Hamas
- 1994Rise of Taliban
- 1 January 1995Founding of World Trade Organization
- 11 September 2001September 11 attacks
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.