Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication–Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, January 2000-July 2001

In 1988, the World Health Assembly, governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO), resolved to eradicate poliomyelitis globally by 2000. In the African Region (AFR), WHO member countries began to implement polio eradication strategies in 1995. Although rapid progress has occurred in much of eastern and southern Africa, wild poliovirus transmission continues to occur in four priority countries: Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), Ethiopia, and Nigeria. This report summarizes progress toward polio eradication in Angola, DR Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria during January 2000-July 2001, and indicates that 11 of 12 cases of wild poliovirus in AFR were identified in these priority countries during January-July 2001.