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July 1, 2002

Europe is Polio-Free says World Health Organisation

On June 21, 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that no indigenous cases of polio have been detected in its European Region in the past three years. The last case of wild poliomyelitis occurred in eastern Turkey in 1998 in a 2-year-old unvaccinated boy who was
paralyzed by the virus.

In a meeting of the European Regional Commission for Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication (RCC), the European Region (51 countries) joined the Americas and the Western Pacific in achieving "polio-free" certification. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative aims to certify the world polio-free by the end of the year 2005.

As RCC chairman Sir Joseph Smith stated in the WHO press release about the certification, "Our work does not stop here. Throughout the European Region, ongoing vaccination and surveillance is vital. The risk of poliovirus being imported into Europe will continue until we eradicate
polio globally."

Follow the link to read the WHO press release, "Europe Achieves Historic Milestone As Region Is Declared Polio-Free".