Report of the 21st Meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication

The 21st Meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication (RCC) reviewed updates on the national polio eradication programme and laboratory containment activity from all Member States of the WHO European Region. The Region has sustained its polio-free status but the risk of importation of wild poliovirus is still high and may be increasing. In spite of high poliovirus immunization coverage and good performance indicators for polio surveillance reported by most Member States, data suggest that the quality of AFP surveillance has been slowly declining throughout the Region since 2002 and that high-risk sub-populations and underserved areas remain, for which polio surveillance and immunization indicators are weak. This situation calls for strong political and financial commitment from all Member States to address these issues to assure global eradication of poliomyelitis.