'De jacht op het poliovirus is geopend' (vervolg)

– Global eradication of poliomyelitis was started in 1988. Polio eradication is considered feasible on theoretical and practical grounds, is cost-effective and is endorsed at the highest political levels. The strategy is based on (a) increasing vaccination coverage through routine immunization, national immunization days and socalled mopping-up campaigns, (b) improving surveillance, and (c) polio-free certification. Since the start of the programme global vaccination coverage increased from 67 in 1988 to 83 in 1995; the number of reported cases – an estimated 10 of the total number – decreased by 90 from 35,251 (1988) to 3,755 (1996). A rapid further decrease is expected with the start of national immunization days on the Indian subcontinent. In the next years the emphasis will be strongly on surveillance i.e. detection of possible polio patients and (wild) poliovirus circulation. All countries will need to implement reliable surveillance to show their polio-free status. Only then can the world be declared polio-free.