Poliomyelitis eradication: Progress, challenges for the end game, and preparation for the post-eradication era

In 1988, the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate poliomyelitis globally by the year 2000. Dramatic progress toward this goal has occurred-three of the six regions of the World Health Organization (WHO) (region of the Americas, European region, and Western Pacific region), are now polio-free. Intensified efforts are currently underway to reach the target as soon as possible after the year 2000 in the three remaining polio-endemic WHO regions (African region, Eastern Mediterranean region, and South-East Asia region). Increasing attention and research efforts are now devoted to the certification of polio eradication in the polio-free regions (including the laboratory containment of poliovirus), and formulating a policy for stopping all polio vaccination once eradication and global certification have been achieved.