29th Meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication (RCC) (2015)

9–10 June 2015, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The 29th Meeting of the European Regional Certification Commission for Poliomyelitis Eradication (RCC) reviewed annual updates submitted by the Member States of the Region on the status of the national polio eradication programme.

The RCC concluded, based on available evidence, that there was no wild poliovirus or vaccine-deroved poliovirus transmission in the WHO European Region in 2014, but the risk of importation and subsequent transmission remains high in some countries. The RCC also identified issues that threatened the future polio-free status of the Region and proposed actions to be taken by Member States and the Regional Office for reducing the risk of polioviruses circulating in the Region.

While 3 Member States were considered to be at high risk of establishing substantial poliovirus transmission in the event of reintroduction, the current situation in Ukraine is of particular concern. If wild poliovirus were to be introduced into Ukraine, the RCC has no doubt that the consequence would be a significant disease outbreak, threatening the polio-free status of the European Region and presenting a significant setback to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.