Pace setter: a speedboat used to deliver vaccine to river islands in the Democratic Republic of Congo. © Sven Torfinn/WHO

November 2002

News

Vaccine deal for feared strain of meningitis 'is imminent'
With two months to go before the start of the meningococcal meningitis season in Africa, WHO, UNICEF and industry are in the final stages of negotiations to begin using a vaccine that should protect against a virulent form of the disease.
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Special Feature

More children, better protection - yes, but how?
As the GAVI partners prepare to meet in Dakar this month, fresh approaches to increasing immunization coverage and saving many more lives are on the agenda.
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Update

Polio: now or never
Poliovirus is down but not yet out. The last and toughest battles against this crippling disease are beginning now and the stakes are higher than ever. This article opens a two-part series on polio. The first part asseses the progress of the eradication initiative in key countries. A second article in the next issue will examine the polio "endgame" and policies for when the world is declared free of wild poliovirus. Can polio immunization stop or should it continue indefinitely?
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