AA WWoorrlldd WWiitthhoouutt PPoolliiooThe world will be certified polio-free threeyears after the last case of polio associatedwith the wild poliovirus is reported, usingprescribed surveillance standards, andafter all wild poliomyelitis stocks have been appropriately contained.

Once polio has been eradicated,immunisation, treatment and rehabilitationcosts will drop dramatically, with savingspotentially exceeding £1 billion a year.

WHO laboratories and institutes testing for:

� Polio� Polio and measles / rubella� Polio, measles / rubella and yellow fever� Polio, measles and / or rubella and

Japanese encephalitisData as at August 2007

The global polio laboratory network will remain inoperation, helping public health officials identify, trackand respond quickly to outbreaks of other diseases.

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Polio vaccines must be maintained at near-freezing temperatures,a process known at the cold chain. The vaccine distribution method- from refrigerated warehouses in ice-packed vaccine carrier bagsto the immunisation posts - will continue to be used for immunisationof other diseases

“The legacy of Rotary’s PolioPlus programme willreach well beyond the eradication of one of themost devastating diseases known to mankind. Itwill also leave behind stronger health systems insome of the poorest countries in the world,enabling them to tackle other important healththreats, particularly in the area of immunisations andcommunicable disease.”Dr Bruce Aylward, WHO Director for Polio Eradication

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland www.thanksforlife.org