Polio eradication.

The goal of polio eradication in the Western Pacific Region is within reach. The last case of polio seen in the region occurred in Cambodia in March 1997 and the region aims to be certified polio-free by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the year 2000. The Global Commission for Certification of Eradication of Poliomyelitis has specified three criteria to be fulfilled by countries in order that they may be certified polio-free: • absence of wild poliovirus for 3 years in the presence of adequate Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance in children under the age of 15 years; • a National Certification Committee in each country to validate and submit the certification documentation; and • the establishment of mechanisms to detect and respond to the importation of wild poliovirus.