Polio eradication

Effort to permanently eliminate all cases of poliomyelitis infection

Polio eradication is the permanent elimination of the global spread of the poliovirus and the poliomyelitis (polio) it causes. Polio eradication began as a public health effort which began in 1988, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Rotary Foundation.[1] These organizations, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Gates Foundation, have created the campaign through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Vaccinations have been seen as a key reason why polio ended.

Nigeria is the latest country to have officially stopped endemic transmission of wild poliovirus. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries where the disease is still classified as endemic.[2][3]

References

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  1. "Polio Eradication". Global Health Strategies. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  2. "Endemic Countries - GPEI". Archived from the original on 22 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. "Poliomyelitis (polio)". www.who.int. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-28.