Abstract:

The subject of poliomyelitis cuts across several courses undertaken as part of the requirements for the PhD in Public Health program. It involves issues of public health, use of data in its implementation and monitoring, including education of communities and the population at large on the dangers of the disease and prevention.

In 1988, the Forty-first World Health Assembly adopted a resolution for the worldwide eradication of polio. This resolution marked the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), a public-private partnership led by national governments with five partners – spearheaded by national governments, WHO, Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), UNICEF, and later joined by additional key partners including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. This followed the certification of the eradication of smallpox in 1980, progress during the 1980s towards elimination of the poliovirus in the Americas, and Rotary International’s commitment to raise funds to protect all children from the disease.

The main goal of the GPEI is to eradicate polio worldwide using four strategies, namely: strong routine immunization coverage, conduct supplemental immunization activities (SIAs), conduct Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance and conduct mop up immunization campaigns wherever and whenever the cases are detected. Since the resolution to eradicate polio was adopted in 1988, the number of wild poliovirus cases have decreased by over 99%,

There are 3 strains of wild poliovirus (type 1, type 2, and type 3). Wild poliovirus type 2 was eradicated in 1999 while wild poliovirus type 3 was declared eradicated in October 2019 during the celebration of the world polio day. This paper has been prepared to enhance the reader’s understanding of the disease of poliomyelitis. The paper will present an overview of poliomyelitis in relation to the following

1.  Background to GPEI

2.  Definition of Poliomyelitis,

3.  Transmission and symptoms

4.  Types of Polio

5.  Prevention,

6.  Complications

7.  Challenges to polio eradication

8.  Possibility of eradicating polio?

9.  Progress made toward polio eradication

10. Measures to keep the world free of polio after certification of eradication,

11. Benefits of polio eradication

12. GPEI Monitoring Boards

13. Conclusion

This paper is aimed at creating awareness of the disease to the larger community so as to promote understanding of the importance of eradicating it just as smallpox was eradicated several years ago.

Keywords: Poliomyelitis

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