For the second week in a row there have been no reported cases of polio anywhere in the world, according to figures released by the World Health Organization! The positive news gives strength to the hard work our Rotarians have carried out to make this a reality in polio stricken countries. Areas that have reported no new cases of polio include Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Syria and Iraq.
But the battle is not over. According to official guidelines, an outbreak is considered to be stopped only following a period of 12 months without the detection of any new polioviruses detected from any source. This is assuming that disease surveillance meets certification standards. Once experts are confident that there are no immunity or surveillance gaps that could allow the virus to hide, the World Health Organization removes the country from its list of re-infected or endemic countries. Only when no case of polio has been detected anywhere in the world for more than three years will the Global Certification Commission for the Eradication of Poliomyelits meet to make a decision on whether the virus is truly gone from the world.
The battle is not over and your generosity and commitment to end polio is needed more than ever. Immunization must still continue, testing of water systems are imperative and necessary. And so is your continued support. Thank you. 
