It’s a battle that has lasted longer than most wars combined, and it’s a battle that is slowly–but hopefully–approaching its end.

World Polio Day, acknowledged every October 24 for many years, once again seeks to spread awareness of the disease in hopes that the last few areas dealing with polio will soon see it eradicated.

Joseph Max Lewis, a Rotarian in New Brighton, joined Matt Drzik to talk about the disease on A.M. Beaver County, including the discovery of the vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk at the University of Pittsburgh in 1954, the citizen-led fight to make the vaccine available nationwide, and the events that led to polio being eradicated in the United States by 1979.

But Lewis also spoke of the countries worldwide that still are dealing with fighting off polio once and for all, and the everyday factors that have made the eradication a struggle.

For more info or to donate, go to endpolio.org/donate.

To hear the full interview about World Polio Day, click on the player below.