REPUBLIKA.CO.ID,  YOGYAKARTA - Eleven member countries of World Health Organization (WHO) in Southeast Asia Region are on their way to declare the Region Polio Free in January 2014. "The success is amazing. We must eradicate polio globally," the Director General of WHO, Margaret Chan, said on Wednesday during WHO's Regional Meeting in Yogyakarta.

The last case of polio in the region was reported on 13 January 2012 in India, making the country possibly get its polio free certification in early 2014. "However, the region remains at risk with poliovirus circulating in the endemic countries - Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan," she said. She said twenty months without polio in the region was a giant leap.

"Now it is the time for maximum vigil, high level of preparedness, high quality surveillance and maintenance of high immunity against polio among all children under five," she said.

The outbreaks in Asia part of Tajikistan in 2010 and China in 2011 provided an important lesson in maintaining population immunity as protection against importations. Medical officers from India, Bangladesh, and Nepal directly assist countries that are still battling the wild virus. She said that the region had the expertise to lead the world in the emergency response.

The Regional Director of WHO's Southeast Asia, Samlee Plianbangchang, said the countries under the region must intensify immunity against polio. "We must monitor closely at national and sub national level. WHO cooperates with its members in Southeast Asia to eradicate polio and obtain the Polio Free certification in early 2014," he said.

According to WHO, the members in Southeast Asia are Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor Leste.

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