• The announcement, made in a statement and at a meeting of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in New York, leaves just two countries — Pakistan and Afghanistan — on the list.
• It has also had to overcome rumours the vaccine caused infertility, leading to many parents, particularly in the Muslim-majority north, refusing to have their children immunised.
• The vaccine, which contains small amounts of weakened but live polio virus, replicates in the gut and can — in rare cases — be passed to others through fecal-contaminated water.

Important Points to Remember

• Countries have to go at least 12 months without a case before they can be considered for removal from the list while polio-free status comes after three years without a case.
• Children under-five are particularly vulnerable.
• In 2015, 41 cases of wild poliovirus have been reported worldwide — 32 in Pakistan and nine in Afghanistan.

What is Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)?

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is a major public-private partnership led by national governments and spearheaded by four organizations: the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and UNICEF. It is on the verge of achieving a momentous goal: to completely rid the world of polio so that no child will ever again know the crippling effects of this preventable disease.

Expected Questions

What is GPEI?

-Global Polio Eradication Initiative

For how long a country takes to be considered for removal from the list while polio-free status comes after three years without a case?

-12 months