Apparent global interruption of wild poliovirus type 2 transmission

In 1988, the World Health Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) resolved to eradicate poliomyelitis by 2000. Since then, the WHO Region of the Americas and Western Pacific Region have been certified free of polio, and the European Region is approaching 3 years since the last confirmed case of polio. Transmission of wild poliovirus types 1 and 3 continues to decline in the other WHO regions. This report summarizes the evidence, obtained through surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP), supporting the global interruption of wild poliovirus type 2 transmission.