Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication–India, Bangladesh, and Nepal, January 2001-June 2002

Since the World Health Assembly resolved in May 1988 to eradicate poliomyelitis, the estimated incidence of polio has decreased >99%, and three World Health Organization (WHO) regions (American, Western Pacific, and European) have been certified polio free. Member countries of the South-East Asia Region (SEAR) of WHO began accelerating polio eradication activities in 1994 and since then have made substantial progress toward that goal. By January 2001, indigenous wild poliovirus transmission in SEAR was limited to northern India, with ongoing poliovirus transmission posing a continuing threat to Bangladesh and Nepal. This report summarizes progress towards polio eradication in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal during January 2001-June 2002 and highlights the remaining challenges to eradicating polio in these countries.