During its 130th meeting last week, the World Health Organization's Executive Board issued a declaration calling for the completion of polio eradication to be considered programmatic emergency for global public health. The resolution will now be presented to the World Health Assembly in May for consideration.

Delegates urged any remaining polio-infected country to declare such transmission 'national public health emergencies', requiring the full implementation of current and new eradication strategies and the institution of strong national oversight and accountability mechanisms.

The resolution is available at http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/EB130/B130_R10-en.pdf

Source:WHO