title: [The road to polio eradication via the Pan American Health Organization].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reconstruct the activities of the Pan American Poliomyelitis Eradication Program, through documents produced by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) from 1985 to 1994.
  
  
  METHODS
  Documents on polio eradication produced from 1985 to 1994, obtained through the publications portal at the official PAHO website, were used as primary sources of information. Documents were categorized by type and their contents studied, revealing their context in the framework of the history of international public health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred sixty documents were found and categorized as bulletins, resolutions, articles, and books. In 1985, PAHO implemented an initiative to eradicate transmission of wild poliovirus in the Americas by 1990. National commissions, a Technical Advisory Group, cross-border meetings, and other coordination mechanisms were established. Eradication activities were monitored by the International Commission for the Certification of Polio Eradication, using five indicators. The Region of the Americas was officially certified in 1994.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The road to polio eradication in the Region of the Americas was affected by different political, social, and economic circumstances in the different member countries and was not problem-free. Nonetheless, important collaboration agreements were reached and experiences and resources were shared. This led to achieving the final goal before other regions. PAHO played a key role and spearheaded the entire process.
authors.affiliation: Hospital General Universitario San Juan de Alicante, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: Miguel Armando
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mosquera Gordillo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: Natalia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Barón Cano
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Salud Pública, Universidad Miguel Hernández, Elche, Alicante, España.
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ballester Añón
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas / Q000453:epidemiology; D060740:Disease Eradication / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D010175:Pan American Health Organization; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000266:history / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated / Q000266:history; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral / Q000266:history; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014611:Vaccination / Q000266:history / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D011054:Poliovirus Vaccine, Inactivated; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral