THE CHALLENGES THAT THE GLOBAL POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE FACES. In the last few decades, we have been able to curb the number of children affected by polio and the number of countries harbouring the virus with great success. This is made possible by the introduction of two very efficient vaccines and the establishment of a global mass-scale immunisation campaign that has already administered 10 [...] In the last few decades, we have been able to curb the number of children affected by polio and the number of countries harbouring the virus with great success. This is made possible by the introduction of two very efficient vaccines and the establishment of a global mass-scale immunisation campaign that has already administered 10 billion doses of the vaccines[1]. This campaign was set up to eradicate the virus; however, recently, the campaign has been facing many challenges that have made it difficult to complete the mission. The polio virus (PV) part of the Enterovirus genus of the Picornaviridae family is an RNA virus that is usually transmitted by the faecal-oral route and has probably been circulating for more than 3000 years. It did not, however, cause any major epidemics until the 19th century when hygiene standards increased. Paradoxically, the virus was able to thrive; children only started encountering the virus after the protective maternal antibodies had worn off and as such they were becoming infected at a later age when the virus is more damaging[2]. 95% of infections with PV are restricted to the