Global Polio EradicationThe possibility of eradicating polio worldwide is a looming and exciting prospect as the “goal” year fast approaches. In 1988, the World Health Assembly, which leads the World Health Organization, set a goal of eliminating polio from the world by 2010. Many organizations have joined this effort alongside from the World Health Organization: the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, Rotary International, Global Health Network, the United States Agency for International Development, National Immunization Day and the International Broadcasting Bureau. Together, these “global partners in the fight against polio” implemented a strategy to completely rid the world of the disease. This is a difficult task, which must be thorough and comprehensive, covering all people in all countries, even industrialized countries like the United States, where polio has already been successfully eliminated (Reuters 1998). Poliomyelitis is caused by “three serotypes of poliovirus” (Prevots 1999). It can manifest with a variety of characteristics, from flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, limb pain and neck stiffness, to varying levels of paralysis and death. Poliovirus can spread from person to person through fecal-oral transmission, and any contaminated object can spread the virus. This is why poliomyelitis is now widespread in areas where sanitary conditions are very poor. Young children wearing diapers are another source of transmission, regardless of environment. The World Health Organization specifies:* The disease circulates "silently" at first, and can infect hundreds of people, depending on the level of sanitation, before the first c...... middle of paper ... ...the year 2010 has not been reached.WORKS CITED “The beginning of the end: 2010 objective. The world without polio. » World Health Organization. 1999. "Five steps to rid the world of polio. Rotary International. 1999. Prevots, Rebecca D., PhD, MPH. et al. Chapter X of the Manual for Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases: Poliomyelitis (CDC). Stemrich Associates: 1999. Sharma, Ashok. “India unlikely to eradicate polio by 2010.” Associated Press, January 1999. “Global polio eradication by 2010 still possible,” Reuters. 1998.