Global Polio Eradication: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract

Poliomyelitis (polio) is a disease of public health importance that occurs mainly in children. In a small percent of infected children, the virus invades central nervous system that could result in paralysis. Now, the global eradication of polio is considered to be in the final stage. By 2002, three World Health Organization (WHO) regions (the Americas, Western Pacific and European regions) had been certified as polio-free. Since the start of Global Poliomyelitis Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, considerable progress has been achieved globally in the direction of polio eradication. In 2013, a total of 406 cases were reported of which 160 were from endemic countries. Many countries, assisted by GPEI mobilized all human, financial and material support to immunize all children with polio vaccine. Supplementary immunization was given to children to achieve global eradication. Although, there is a massive reduction (99%) in the number of polio cases from 1988 to 2012, there are a few endemic countries that report new polio cases. The opportunities are the availability of safe and effective vaccine, effective surveillance and accurate laboratory diagnosis. With molecular characterization, it is not only possible to confirm the presence of virus in clinical specimens, but also to differentiate vaccine-derived virus from wild polio virus. In some of the endemic countries, polio immunization could not reach population of some geographic area. The polio virus is able to survive long for weeks to months in feces and in cold environment water bodies. The main challenges for global eradication of polio are the effective clinical as well as environmental surveillance and to reach all children of endemic countries.

Keywords: Polio, poliomyelitis, virus, eradication, immunization, vaccine