Gu Fangzhou: A monument to polio elimination in China

Commemorating the centenary of Professor Gu Fangzhou's birth, this memorial article documents his landmark contributions to eliminating poliomyelitis in China. It details his strategic prioritization of the live attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) and his team's breakthroughs in overcoming logistical hurdles through the sugar-coated pill formulation and mass immunization campaigns. Furthermore, the review highlights his development of diagnostic reagents and a national surveillance network, which culminated in China's polio-free certification in 2000. Ultimately, the paper honors Professor Gu's legacy as a trailblazing scientist, demonstrating how his low-cost, high-efficiency research model provided a replicable template for global polio eradication and laid the institutional foundation for China's modern public health system.