The Social and Biological Frontiers of Polio: Comparing Global Eradication Strategies

Authors

• Srisai A. Turangi, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Angela Bolen, PhD.

Second Advisor

Cindy Ermus, PhD

Date of this Version

3-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

Turangi, S. A. (2026, March). The Social and Biological Frontiers of Polio: Comparing Global Eradication Srategies [Undergraduate Honors Thesis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln]. March 2026.

Comments

Copyright Srisai Turangi 2026.

Abstract

This paper provides a comparative analysis of the divergent global strategies for poliomyelitis (polio) eradication, examining the historical and structural contexts of developed nations – the United States and United Kingdom – alongside the enduring challenges in endemic regions such as Nigeria and Pakistan. Biomedical innovations like the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) and Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) have helped bring the world to a state of almost complete global eradication, but progress is still uneven due to variations in funding, healthcare infrastructure, and the legacy of colonialism. Studies reveal how a framework where global health inequalities remained, allowed for resource-rich nations to achieve early success with polio eradication through robust & “horizontal” healthcare systems, whereas endemic nations relied on “vertical” & more international-aid dependent programs for the financial affordability. Moreover, the paper examines how historical medical exploitations and “information poverty” have planted seeds of deep mistrust in Nigeria and Pakistan, thereby framing hesitancy surrounding vaccines to be a rational response rather than scientific misunderstanding. Ultimately, scholars argue that global eradication of polio required a shift from the one-size-fits-all models imposed upon endemic nations, and slowing down eradication, and towards strategies that prioritize local dignity, human trust, and equitable healthcare infrastructure.