Although substantial progress towards polio eradication has been achieved during 1999, the interruption of poliovirus by 2000 or as soon as possible, will be feasible only if extraordinary efforts are taken in priority countries where polio remains endemic.
Realizing the full benefits of polio eradication will require not only stopping transmission but also a full agenda of work outlined in the strategic plan for the years 2000 €“ 2005 (see Figure 1).
- From 2000 - 2002, the focus will be on intensifying supplementary immunization (NIDs/mop-up) and surveillance activities to interrupt virus transmission in the 30 remaining endemic countries.
- From 2000 - 2005, surveillance and certification activities to guide intensified NIDs and to document the absence of polio in polio-free countries so that Regional and Global Certification commissions can certify eradication.
- From 2000 - 2005, a sharper focus on strengthening routine EPI, in cooperation with the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), to secure gains and to build on lessons learned in polio eradication to date.
- From 2000 - 2005, activities to implement the Global Plan of Action for Laboratory Containment will accelerate. Laboratory containment of poliovirus is an essential part of the eradication activities in polio-free countries.
Finally, this plan of action summarizes the necessary research and policy planning required to establish an international consensus for stopping polio immunization in the post-eradication.
