Certification of poliomyelitis eradication

Th e fi ft eenth meeting of the European Regional Commission for the Certifi cation of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis (RCC) was held at the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Offi ce for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark on 19–21 June 2002. In this unique meeting, the RCC scrutinized national documents prepared by all 51 Member States of the Region in order to make an historic decision: to certify the European Region of WHO as “poliomyelitis free”. Th e objectives of the meeting were to assess progress made towards certifi cation of poliovirus eradication in the European Region, to discuss ongoing activities for the post-certifi cation period (that is, strengthening immunization services, polio surveillance and the regional polio laboratory network), and to brief Member States on the regional and global situation regarding polio eradication. Th e RCC meeting consisted of two plenary and four private sessions. Certifi cation was based on the examination of detailed scientifi c data provided by each country and supplemented by WHO assessment missions, with an emphasis on national poliovirus surveillance. Each National Certifi cation Committee (NCC) provided an offi cial statement summarizing the evidence that their country had been free from indigenous wild poliovirus transmission for the previous three years. In addition, 16 countries made special presentations to the Commission during the meeting. Based on careful consideration of all of the evidence presented, the RCC concluded that the transmission of wild poliovirus had been interrupted in all 51 Member States of the European Region and, on 21 June 2002, the Commission certifi ed the European Region to be poliomyelitis free. Th e RCC emphasized that, until global polio eradication has been achieved, importation of wild poliovirus from polio-endemic regions is possible and therefore each Member State and WHO must sustain the highest levels of polio immunization and surveillance.