Table 1. Structure and performance of global acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and measles surveillance systems, by WHO region, 2003

WHO region

No. of
countries with AFP systems

No. of
countries integrating AFP with measles/ neonatal tetanus reporting

No. of polio-funded national and international staff

No. of polio-virus laboratories

No. of
measles laboratories

No. of AFP cases (non- polio AFP rate^a)

No. and % of AFP with adequate^b specimens tested

No. of
laboratory confirmed polio cases

No. of
clinically
suspect
measles cases

No. of
clinically
suspect cases tested (% suspected)

No. of
laboratory confirmed measles cases (% tested)

African

46

28

780

16

34

8,181
(2.6)

7,199
(88%)

446

262,314

14,583
(5.5%)

3,543
(24%)

Americas

44

44

1

9

178

2,229
(1.3)

1,805
(81%)

0

34,766

33,028
(95%)

105
(0.003%)

Eastern Mediterranean

22

22

806.5

12

20

5,290
(2.4)

4,761
(90%)

113

52,882

8,619
(16%)

4,650
(54%)

European

39

2

15

48

60

1,529
(1.2)

1,269
(83%)

0

27,158^c

7,904^d
(29%)

737^d
(9.3%)

South-East Asian

11

10

1,087

16

16

11,289
(1.9)

9,369
(83%)

225

83,862

1,083
(1.2%)

506
(47%)

Western Pacific

36

25

17

44

382

6,397
(1.4)

5,629
(88%)

0

101,810

NA

13,193

WHO HQ

-

-

45.5

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

GLOBAL

198

131

2,752

145

690

34,915
(1.9)

30,032
(86%)

784

-

62,463

20,926

NA: not applicable

a Annual number of non-polio AFP cases per 100 000 population aged < 15 years of age.

b At least 2 stool samples collected 24 hours apart and within 14 days of onset of paralysis, arriving in the laboratory in good condition.

c Source: Expanded Programme on Immunization monthly surveillance data.

d Source: Monthly laboratory surveillance (does not capture all laboratory tested and confirmed cases); some patients have 2 samples taken and number of confirmed cases refers to number of samples (not patients) that are IgM+.