Progress toward poliomyelitis eradication--Egypt, 2002

Since the World Health Assembly resolved in 1988 to eradicate poliomyelitis globally, the number of countries in which polio is endemic has declined 94% from 125 countries to seven. The estimated number of wild poliovirus-positive cases worldwide has decreased >99%, and three World Health Organization (WHO) regions (Americas, European, and Western Pacific) are now certified as polio-free. Substantial progress has been made in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, where poliovirus is endemic in four (Afghanistan, Egypt, Pakistan, and Somalia) of 23 countries. This report summarizes progress during 2002 toward polio eradication in Egypt, where several independent chains of wild poliovirus type 1 (P1) transmission continue to circulate despite a long history of eradication efforts. The findings indicate that surveillance and vaccination activities have improved substantially and highlight the need for further improvements to interrupt poliovirus transmission.