Our Mission

Beyond Polio 11 Sep , 2015
Photographer: Alyce Henson; Courtesy of Rotary International
Photographer: Alyce Henson; Courtesy of Rotary International

BeyondPolio is dedicated to assisting the global effort to eradicate polio by educating the public on the polio disease and empowering the heroes that make a difference.  We believe that the media plays a pivotal role in public health and can help promote the voices of the medical and scientific communities.

When news of the polio vaccine’s success was made public in 1955, Dr. Jonas Salk was hailed as an international hero.

No medical breakthrough has ever been as widely acclaimed as Salk’s polio vaccine. Millions of children were saved from disability and hundreds of thousands lives have been saved.

Since then, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative has mustered the forces of the largest ever international mobilization. Our goal is to finally put an end to polio for all children, in every country around the world.

Since the Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched, the number of cases has fallen by over 99%.

As long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk.

Rotary International, the World Health Organization, and the Gates Foundation have made polio eradication a top priority. Kevin Kimberlin and the Spencer Trask organization are ongoing supporters of leading Polio Eradication initiatives.

“…a chance at one of the greatest successes of mankind.”

– Bill Gates

Spencer Trask and Kevin Kimberlin encourages you to join the campaign. We believe in the power of social networking and a caring community to take the final step in this historic crusade.

Our social networking efforts are focused on educating the masses on the polio disease, and honoring the legacy of Jonas Salk.

Photographer: Alyce Henson; Courtesy of Rotary International
Photographer: Alyce Henson; Courtesy of Rotary International

Salk’s vaccine is the standard in developed countries. To eradicate the disease forever, it must be the standard everywhere.

An open innovation challenge is a powerful resouce to support these efforts. InnoCentive’s open collaboration platform and the Nature Pavillion have the ability to tap into a network of over 9 million of the world’s greatest minds to generate unorthodox out-of-the mainstream solutions.

“Through the challenges we have worked on with InnoCentive for the social space, we have gotten some really amazing, inspiring, and surprising solutions.”

– Judith Rodin, Rockefeller Foundation

Spencer Trask has been a supporter of the challenge to find affordable solutions to make Jonas Salk’s vaccine the standard throughout the world.

“We must all dedicate ourselves to writing this final chapter and closing the book on polio forever. For every child.”

— UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake