Last year, polio cases in Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan were cut by 45%.

Similar momentum this year could put an end to transmission in a part of the world that has challenged global eradication efforts.

The plan for 2005 involves large and repeated polio immunisation campaigns in the remaining affected districts of these countries.

Emphasis will be on reaching children in communities traditionally under-served by health services.

Similar action last year paid off in the shrinking geographic footprint of the poliovirus and in falling numbers of affected children.

Total cases in the region fell from 336 in 2003 to 186 in 2004 (reported as of 1 February 2005), while surveillance of the disease in the key districts is twice as sensitive.

Large areas of each country reported no polio last year.

Afghanistan's president, India's Congress Party leader and Pakistani's president all lent personal support to the 2004 immunisation campaigns, during which 210 million children were given 1.5 billion doses of vaccine.