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Joan Stephenson, PhD

JAMA. 2002;288:2813.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 115 words of the full text and any section headings.

A drive to vaccinate 60 million African children against polio was under way last month, part of the latest immunization campaigns that have reduced the number of polio-endemic countries in Africa to an all-time low, according to the World Health Organization. Only three African countries—Nigeria, Niger, and Somalia—are considered polio-endemic, compared with 20 in 1999.

A global effort launched in 1988 to eradicate polio has reduced the number of cases by 99%. But experts warn that eliminating the final 1% will entail many difficulties, including reaching children in remote areas and in conflict-affected countries.

Poor roads hinder the delivery of polio vaccine in Liberia during an immunization campaign. (Photo credit: Rotary International)

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