NOTE: This Message was originally addressed to Tom Mckeever
      from Steve Lancaster  and was forwarded to you by Tom 
M
ckeever
                           --------------------
Date:         Fri, 22 Sep 1995 00:52:46 GMT
From: Steve Lancaster 
Press Release WHO/15 - 21 February 1995
THE WORLD IS TO BE PRONOUNCED POLIO-FREE
 THREE YEARS AFTER THE LAST POLIO CASE
        WHO will declare the world free of polio when three years have
elapsed without a reported case.  This is the conclusion of a panel
of international experts after the first meeting of the Global
Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis.
        "The concept of certification of the global eradication of
poliomyelitis is based on the experience of smallpox eradication",
explains Dr Jan Kostrzewski, Chairman of the Commission.  "Four
factors are of particular importance for the certification: the lapse
of time between the last case and certification, the intensity of
epidemiological surveillance, the competence and diligence of the
certification committee reviewing national data, and political
support".
        Eradication is defined, as not just the absence of cases of
clinical poliomyelitis caused by wild polioviruses, but also the
absence of detected virus in stool samples during extensive
epidemiological surveillance.
        Eventual certification of the eradication of wild poliovirus
from the world will be determined by the Global Commission based on
the work of the Regional Certification Commissions which, in turn,
will examine evidence produced by independent national commissions.
The evidence will consist of immunization coverage, proven effective
surveillance for polio cases and wild viruses, evidence of laboratory
testing of specimen and supplementary immunization in high risk
areas,  where cases most recently occurred or immunization coverage
is low.
        Considerable progress has been made since 1988, when the World
Health Assembly set the year 2000 as the target for the global
eradication of poliomyelitis.  Today, the whole of the Western
hemisphere is polio-free, and the Western Pacific region is striving
towards becoming the second polio-free area by the end of this year.
There are other emerging polio-free zones: Western and Central
Europe, North Africa, Southern and Eastern Africa, as well as the
Middle East.
        WHO is using a basic eradication strategy to achieve and
maintain high levels of immunization coverage utilizing the oral
polio vaccine (OPV); to improve epidemiological surveillance systems;
and to conduct supplementary immunization in polio endemic countries.
        Global immunization coverage for three doses of OPV stood at
80% in 1993.  But because immunization coverage is 90% or higher in
several large countries, poor performance in other countries is lost
in the global figure.  Thus, 18 countries have failed to immunize at
least 50% of their infants against polio.  Most of these countries are
in Africa.
        By the end of 1994, National Immunization Days had been
conducted in 58 countries.  An additional 15 countries are planning
to hold nation-wide campaigns in 1995.  The biggest ever
multi-country immunization campaign involving 17 countries of the
Middle East, the Caucasus and Central Asian Republics is currently
underway.  China is poised to repeat its highly successful
immunization campaign of last year when some 70 million children under
five years of age were immunized in the course of two days against
polio.  Only five cases of confirmed polio were detected in China in
1994 as compared to 4623 cases in 1988.
        The global incidence of poliomyelitis has been steadily
declining in recent years.  There were approximately 35 000 cases
reported in 1988.  The number fell below 10 000 for the first time in
1993.  At the beginning of February 1995, only 4147 cases had been
reported for 1994.  Reporting of the 1994 data is incomplete and it
is believed that the final total will be between 6000 and 8000.
        "While tremendous progress has been achieved, eradication of
polio is far from assured at this time", comments Dr Ralph Henderson,
Assistant Director-General.  "National immunization days require
large amounts of vaccine.  A total of up to ten billion additional
doses may be needed.  We estimate that at least US$ 100 million is
needed for each of the next five years to achieve polio eradication".
        An additional obstacle to eradication is lack of political
commitment on the part of both polio-endemic and industrialized
countries.  Falling routine immunization coverage is another problem,
as this causes the pool of susceptible children to increase rapidly,
thus setting the stage for potential epidemics.  The final obstacle
to polio eradication is war, political change and social unrest.
Health systems have been paralysed or destroyed in a number of
countries, resulting in a large number of children being totally
unimmunized.  Urgent action is needed to increase political
commitment and to raise funds if the polio eradication initiative is
to succeed.
_______________
For further information, please contact Mr Valery Abramov, Health
Communications and Public Relations Programme, WHO.  Geneva - Tel.
No. (41 22) 791 2543;  Fax No. (41 22) 791 4858.
 * WCE 2.1G1/2037 * Things to do today: 1) Get up. 2) Survive. 3) Go to bed.
--- WILDMAIL!/WC v4.12 
1:374/22.0)
---------------