Polio is likely to be wiped off the planet in the next two years, a huge triumph for global health. Seventy-four cases of polio were reported in 2015, in contrast to 350,000 when eradication efforts began in 1988. Although polio remains endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan, there is now a push towards the finish line, with creative strategies in place to attract religious leaders as immunization advocates, fine-tune vaccine logistics in remote regions, and foster community trust. How is polio being eradicated? What lessons can we apply to other preventable diseases?