Progress toward global eradication of poliomyelitis, 1988-1991

The report of the last case of smallpox from Somalia in 1977 demonstrated that an infectious disease could be eradicated globally. Because polioviruses have no animal reservoir and do not survive for long periods of time in the environment, and because lifelong immunity to paralytic poliomyelitis is conferred by existing, effective vaccines, poliomyelitis has been considered a candidate for eradication. In 1985, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) initiated a regional poliomyelitis eradication program. Based on the success of this program and high vaccination levels achieved worldwide by the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI), in May 1988, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) adopted a resolution to eradicate poliomyelitis globally by the year 2000. This report summarizes progress of the global poliomyelitis eradication initiative from 1988 through 1991.