WHO: A Polio Free South-East Asia Within Reach

Yogyakarta - Eleven countries in WHO's South-East Asia Region are now on track to declaring the Region Polio Free, a WHO official said. "This is a magnificent achievement, we must now eradicate polio globally," said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO Director General while addressing the result of WHO's Regional Committee Meeting here, Wednesday. Dr. Chan said the last case of wild polio virus in the region was reported on 13 January 2011 in India, making a regional polio free certification possible in early 2014. "However, the Region remains at risk with polio virus circulating in the endemic countries - Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan," she added. While achieving twenty months without any cases of polio reported in the region is an important milestone, Dr Chan said, now is the time for maximum vigil, high levels of preparedness, high quality surveillance and maintenance of high immunity against polio among all children under five years old. "The recent outbreaks in Asia-Tajikistan in 2010 and China in 2011 - have provided important lessons in maintaining high population immunity as protection against importations," she said. Dr. Chan also pointed out that medical officers from India, Bangladesh and Nepal are directly assisting countries that are still battling the wild virus. "This region has the expertise, bolstered by success, to lead the world in this emergency response. We can and must win" she said. (*)