Eradicating polio.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Say the words "iron lung" to most young people in the United States and Europe and they'll probably think you're talking about a heavy-metal band. They've grown up in a world where iron lungs, leg braces and the fear of summer polio epidemics are artifacts of their parents' and grandparents' lives.

The battle to gain the upper hand on polio in the developing countries continues, but it may not be long until the people of India, Pakistan and Nigeria, where 98 percent of polio cases occur now, will live in a world free of the crippling disease.

If the current vaccination campaign is successful, the world is likely to be polio-free next year, making polio only the second known disease after smallpox to be wiped out by human efforts. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson told reporters in New Delhi on Thursday, "We're probably down to the last 1,000 cases."

Those cases will undoubtedly be difficult to eradicate. Poverty, superstition and lack of education prevent people from understanding the need for vaccinations. But an astounding global victory is within reach.

File this one under "H," for hope, because if we can eradicate polio, then surely we can ...