What CDC Is Doing to Eradicate Polio

See also the Updates on CDC’s Polio Eradication Efforts.

CDC is a strategic partner in the overall effort to eradicate polio worldwide. CDC provides scientific expertise to many polio eradication programs and activities:

• Global Immunization Division (GID) staff members work jointly with WHO and national Ministries of Health to plan and monitor polio surveillance and immunization activities in multiple countries worldwide.
• GID also supports other eradication projects such as conducting epidemiologic and vaccine efficacy studies and performing operational research for supplemental immunization activities.
• The Polio and Picornavirus Laboratory in CDC’s Division
  of Viral Diseases serves as a WHO Global Specialized Laboratory and provides technical and programmatic assistance to the global polio laboratory network overall. CDC’s labs provide critical diagnostic services and genomic sequencing of polioviruses to help guide disease control efforts in many countries. In 2014, this included support for implementation of improved laboratory procedures that have increased sensitivity to detect and confirm new polio infection. Other new laboratory procedures are helping countries overcome specific operational challenges, enable more rapid detection of wild poliovirus (WPV), and allow for faster response to importations or spread of virus. Additional efforts include technical assistance to laboratories implementing environmental surveillance for polio detection.
• Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) team members currently participate in 11 month assignments in 42 countries, providing support at the national and sub-national levels. In 2018 alone, the STOP program in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF has deployed 314 public health professionals to improve surveillance for acute flaccid paralysis (AFP, an early sign of possible polio), support planning and implementing polio SIAs, responding to polio outbreaks, and enhancing polio surveillance.
• Country support through deployment of personnel and other resources.