What are people saying about polio eradication?

Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations
Addressing the Governors’ Forum in Abuja, Nigeria, 24 May 2011:

You have made tremendous progress [in] the past year. Polio cases are down by 95 per cent. But, if we let our guard down for a minute, polio can spring back. We cannot let this happen. Let us eradicate this crippling disease once and for all.

David Cameron, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Announcing on 28 January 2011 that the United Kingdom would double its contribution to polio (for 2011-2012) even in the midst of the recession:

There is never a wrong time to do the right thing.
I passionately believe that we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rid the world of the evil of polio. We have the vaccines and the tools to do it. All that’s missing is real and sustained political will to see this effort through to the end. 

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
In his 2011 Annual Letter, released January 2011:

If eradication fails because of a lack of generosity on the part of donor countries it would be tragic. We are so close, but we have to finish the last leg of the journey. We need to bring the cases down to zero, maintain careful surveillance to ensure the virus is truly gone, and keep defenses up with polio vaccines until we’ve confirmed success.

Tony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF
At the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative Strategic Plan 2010-2012 in June 2010:

Let’s act and let’s act with an eye to results.
We must all dedicate ourselves to writing this final chapter and closing the book on polio forever. For every child.

Mia Farrow, actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
On a visit to Chad in March 2010, Mia Farrow told parents to vaccinate their children against polio:

I have come here as a mother and as a grandmother and as an ambassador for UNICEF to tell all the women and fathers to be sure to bring their children in to be vaccinated.

Fernando Alonso, F1 World Champion
During a visit to India on October 27, 2011, Fernando Alonso administered polio vaccine and visited paralysed children: 

Every child deserves the right to run, to play and to live a healthy life without polio.

I’m proud to be here today to immunize children against polio. It is critical that all Indian children continue to be immunized against polio until this disease has been eradicated all over the world. We all hope that happens soon.

Dr Robert Scott, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee
On the announcement that Rotary International would be releasing US$500,000 in emergency grants to help combat the outbreak in Congo, November 2010:

Polio outbreaks highlight our global vulnerability to infectious disease. It reinforces the fact that polio 'control' is not an option, and only successful eradication will stop the disease.

Itzhak Perlman, violinist and polio survivor
Walking on stage on crutches, the violin virtuoso told the audience at the ‘Concert to End Polio’ in December 2009:

There is no reason that anybody in this world should have polio... it’s just ridiculous.

Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization
At the 2008 Rotary International conference:

As an international community, we have few opportunities to do something that is unquestionably good for every country and every child, in perpetuity. Polio eradication is one of these opportunities.