An international campaign under the leadership of the World Health org
anisation is underway to eradicate polio from the world by the year 20
00. South Africa may already be free of polio. However, to ensure erad
ication we need to move from a polio control programme to a polio erad
ication programme. This necessitates the institution of a surveillance
programme for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and improvement of the de
livery of polio vaccine. All children with AFP (including those with s
uspected Guillain-Barre syndrome) should be investigated with stool cu
lture to exclude polio. Primary care services need strengthening so th
at oral polio vaccine coverage greater than 90% is achieved in all reg
ions by all authorities. Outbreak response activities need to be devel
oped. Consideration needs to be given to national immunisation days an
d mopping-up activities.