WHO International Health Regulations Emergency Committee declares polio as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern
5 May 2014
[Editor’s extract and bolded text]
The Emergency Committee convened by the WHO Director-General under the International Health Regulations (2005) [IHR (2005)] met by teleconference on Monday 28 April 2014 and Tuesday 29 April 2014. The following affected States Parties participated in the informational session of the meeting on Monday 28 April 2014: Afghanistan, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Israel, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia and the Syrian Arab Republic…
… After discussion and deliberation on the information provided, and in the context of the global polio eradication initiative, the Committee advised that the international spread of polio to date in 2014 constitutes an ‘extraordinary event’ and a public health risk to other States for which a coordinated international response is essential. The current situation stands in stark contrast to the near-cessation of international spread of wild poliovirus from January 2012 through the 2013 low transmission season for this disease (i.e. January to April). If unchecked, this situation could result in failure to eradicate globally one of the world’s most serious vaccine preventable diseases. It was the unanimous view of the Committee that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) have been met.
A series of recommendations were issued to curb further spread of the poliovirus for “States currently exporting wild poliovirus” (with Pakistan, Cameroon, and the Syrian Arab Republic named), and States infected with wild poliovirus but not currently exporting (with Afghanistan, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Iraq, Israel, Somalia and Nigeria named). Among the recommendations are aggressive new efforts for immunization and imposition of certain travel-related controls which involve polio immunization and requirements for documentation of immunization. The full statement is here.

Editorials on the declaration from major newspapers include:
:: The Guardian http://www.guardiannews.com/
Outbreaks of disease and war: polio’s history with conflict
The World Health Organization has declared polio as a Public Health Emergency of
International Concern; in the past Polio eradication brought warring nations together –
might it do so again now?
:: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/
The Global Polio Threat, Back Again
By THE EDITORIAL BOARD
:: Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/
What’s behind the WHO’s emergency declaration on the spread of wild polio
By Editorial Board, Published: May 8