The World Health Organization is mounting a massive campaign to vaccinate 60 million children in Africa. The goal is to eliminate polio-endemic countries in Africa, as part of the worldwide effort to eradicate this vaccine preventable infectious disease. Only three African countries -— Nigeria, Niger, and Somalia — are considered polio-endemic, compared with 20 in 1999.

In 1998, a global effort was launched to eradicate polio. In a little more than a decade, the number of cases has been reduced by 99%. Experts warn that eliminating the final 1% will be especially challenging, including successfully reaching children in remote communities and in conflict-affected countries.