Poliomyelitis: the role of the military in the final campaign.

Poliomyelitis remains a disease of significance to military medicine. The medical branches of the military of many nations have much to contribute in the final 4 years of the campaign to eradicate poliomyelitis from the world. The service requirements of immunization remain a logistic charge on the defense health services of all nations. Risks to unimmunized troops remain current in the poliomyelitis endemic regions of Europe, Asia, and Africa; and recent epidemics in India, West Africa, and Albania have involved military personnel in containment programs. The 20th century has seen global attempts to eradicate seven diseases--hookworm, yellow fever, yaws, malaria, smallpox, dracunculiasis, and poliomyelitis. The first four of these were total failures, in spite of huge military logistic resources, especially in the case of yellow fever and malaria. But the global eradication of smallpox, achieved in 1979, led to the World Health Organization's Declaration of a Smallpox-Free World in 1980. Its success ranks as one of the greatest achievements in the history of medicine. Lessons learned and encouragement derived from that program led to the institution of the Poliomyelitis Global Eradication Program in 1988. Following the Declaration of a Polio-Free America, the target date for the Declaration of a Poliomyelitis-Free World has been set for 2004. Regional surveillance programs use the quality-control portal of acute flaccid paralysis to monitor every potential clinical case of acute poliomyelitis. In the Western Pacific region, a region of 22 countries with a recent history of significant operational deployments, 15 countries had experienced endemic poliomyelitis before 1990. In this region, the last case of poliomyelitis (in Cambodia) was reported in March 1997. Such audit, together with massive point vaccination programs, many using massive military support, conducted since 1997 hold realistic promise that the world may be declared poliomyelitis-free by 2004. Poliomyelitis will be more difficult to eradicate than smallpox; and the current world campaign will succeed only with the logistic and professional input of the military of many nations.