The polio eradication initiative, created after the World Health Assembly r
esolved, in 1988, to eradicate poliomyelitis globally by 2000, has made rem
arkable progress. From 1988 through 2000, the number of countries where pol
io was endemic decreased from >125 to 20, and the estimated number of polio
cases decreased from 350,000 to <3500, for a percentage decrease of >99%.
Wild-type 2 poliovirus has not been detected worldwide since October 1999,
despite improving surveillance. The major focus of the eradication effort i
s to complete the task of stopping wild-type poliovirus transmission. Given
the rapid progress made toward this goal, planning for the posteradication
era has begun in earnest (1) to minimize the risk of reintroduction of vir
us into the population from laboratory stocks or long-term carriers, and (2
) to prevent vaccine-derived polioviruses from circulating and causing outb
reaks. This report summarizes the current thinking about these "endgame" is
sues, as put forth by the World Health Organization's technical advisory bo
dy for the initiative, the Technical Consultative Group on the Global Eradi
cation of Poliomyelitis.