Singapore Certified Polio-Free

30 Oct 2000

29 Oct 2000 marks a significant milestone in the poliomyelitis (polio) eradication efforts of the Western Pacific Region, of which Singapore is a member. On this day, the World Health Organization (WHO) has certified the Western Pacific Region free of polio. After America, this is the second region in the world to have achieved polio-free status. These efforts are towards the WHO's goal for global eradication of polio. For the Western Pacific Region to be certified polio-free, all countries within the Region had to put in place a sensitive surveillance system for detecting polio cases, not have any local polio cases for at least three years and ensure that appropriate measures are in place to respond to imported cases of polio.

Polio is a viral infection most often recognised by the sudden onset of floppy paralysis. It usually affects children less than 15 years of age. The poliovirus can bring about a spectrum of clinical presentations, ranging from mild non-specific illness to brain infection to paralysis. It is transmitted from person to person primarily through the faecal-oral route.

Prior to the advent of immunisation, polio occurred world-wide. In the 1950s, polio was a major public health concern in Singapore. With the introduction of polio vaccination in Singapore in 1962, the incidence of polio has declined significantly. The last local case of polio was reported in 1978.

Today, children in Singapore continue to receive oral polio vaccine as part of the National Childhood Immunisation Programme. As part of the efforts towards achieving her polio-free status, Singapore has a surveillance system in place to detect possible cases of poliomyelitis so that effective control measures can be implemented immediately.

As polio is still present in some regions in the world, the threat of importation and re-introduction of the virus into Singapore exists. As such, Singapore will continue to maintain high vigilance for polio cases and high coverage for childhood polio immunisation until global eradication is achieved.