Progress towards global polio eradication

Significant progress is being made towards the global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000. The strategies recommended by the World Health Organization for polio eradication are as follows: maintaining high routine immunization coverage; conducting nationwide mass immuniza-tion campaigns; building effective, laboratory-based surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis; and conducting localized immunization campaigris directed at the final reservoirs of virus transmission. Sixty-three countries have conducted nationwide anti-polio immunization campaigns. Three hun-dred million children were immunized in these campaigns worldwide in 1995.The reported incidence of poliomyelitis has fallen by ~80 % since the global target was set in 1988, and the geographic range of polio is being restricted. The major challenges for achieving eradication are establishing effectivesurveillance systems in all countries and mobilizing the resources needed to fully implement the recommended strategies in the 67 countries in which polio remains endemic. In 1988, the World Health Assembly passed resolution WHA 41.28, which committed the World Health Organization (WHO) to the global eradication of poliomyelitis by the year 2000. Because most poliovirus infections are subclinical, eradi-cation means not just that there will be no cases of clinical poliomyelitis caused by naturally occurring (wild) polioviruses. Eradication means, in addition, that wild poliovirus transmis-sion will cease and that no wild polioviruses can be found despite intensive efforts to do so. Since the target was established, an effective global coalition has been built to work towards the goal. The principal members of the coalition are WHO, Rotary International, UNICEF, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The eradication initiative is also supported by other nongovernmental organiza-tions and the governments of many countries, including Austra