[WHO Polio Eradication Programme:Status quo and implementation in Austria].
In 1988 the 41(th) World Health Assembly declared polio to be worldwide eradicated until the year 2000. Although this ambitious aim could not be reached completely, the yearly worldwide incidence was reduced by 99% and three WHO-Regions were declared polio-free (Americans, West Pacific, Europe). To maintain this status the following measures have to be carried out: polio vaccination, enterovirus surveillance, AFP-surveillance, quality control of laboratories and notification of labs keeping stocks of polio wildvirus. Especially after the Second World War Austria faced severe polio epidemics and thus general and free of charge polio vaccination for children and young adults up to 21 years was started in winter 1961/62 by the Austrian Ministry of Health (MoH). Immediately the yearly incidence dropped from 3.65/100.000 (n = 292) in 1961 to 0.1/100.000 (n = 8) in 1962. Since 1998 all mandatory national measures according the WHO polio eradication programme have been performed. Despite the worldwide success of the programme there are currently still four countries with endemic polio and since November 2006 eleven further countries have faced epidemics due to imported cases. Therefore the 60(th) World Health Assembly in 2007 again pointed to the threat of failing worldwide polio eradication. Currently the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) works intensively with the concerned countries to fight against this development.
Strauss
Reinhild
R
Nationales Komitee zur Eradikation der Poliomyelitis, Austria. reinhild.strauss@bmgfj.gv.at
Sagl
Maria
M
Wewalka
Günther
G
Dierich
Manfred
M
Baumhackl
Ulf
U
Holzmann
Heidemarie
H
Marth
Egon
E
Kuderna
Christa
C
Hrabcik
Hubert
H
Mutz
Ingomar
I
D000293:Adolescent; D001317:Austria; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000639:trends; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018563:Disease Notification; D006284:Health Plan Implementation / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D032541:Mass Vaccination / Q000639:trends*; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D014944:World Health Organization
D011055:Poliovirus Vaccine, Oral