Once a global scourge, polio is tantalizingly close to eradication with only 11 wild poliovirus cases reported worldwide in 2017. In this Forum event — held in advance of World Polio Day — experts from the Government of Pakistan, UNICEF, Rotary International, and the Harvard Opinion Research Program explained what factors contributed to this remarkable progress. Where were we five years ago in the effort to end transmission? What challenges emerged and how were they overcome? And where do we go from here? Looking specifically at the latest findings from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria, speakers described the key roles of polling and data collection, community and family engagement, new communication efforts and more in building trust to enable widespread vaccinations. They explored what brought us to this “last mile” of polio eradication, and what needs to be done to fully eradicate this ancient, debilitating and entirely preventable disease. Presented jointly with NPR on Friday, October 20, 2017