India set to be declared polio-free

[Indo-guy]

India set to be declared polio-free - The Times of India

CHANDIGARH: India will complete three years without any polio case on Monday. The last polio case was reported on January 13, 2011 from West Bengal. Three years is the gestation period for the WHO to declare a country polio-free. Although the three year period finishes today, the WHO certification will take a month or so.

RK Saboo, founding member of the Polioplus programme, said, "We have achieved this milestone after perseverance and consistent efforts. However, we will not get complacent. The polio drops will be replaced by the injectable IPV (inactivated polio vaccine) next year in the high risk states." As IPV is not a 'live' vaccine and is an intramuscular injection it carries no risk of vaccine-associated polio paralysis, he said here on Sunday.

The high risk states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar and Haryana, will have polio vaccines instead of the oral drops for children. This will subsequently be followed in the rest of the country.

Spelling out the roadmap for the next few years after the polio-free status, Saboo said, "In fact, the door-to-door polio drive will now also check for other national immunization programmes, including pentavalent vaccines."

 

[karan21]

I guess Indian government sometimes does delivers..

 

[Skull and Bones]

Let us repeat the feat again in eradicating tuberculosis.

 

[Anubis]

Great now Bangladesh can declare itself polio free too!

 

[Indo-guy]

I guess Indian government sometimes does delivers..

Credit goes to millions of faceless grass root workers - underpaid , overworked in their thankless jobs....

Let us repeat the feat again in eradicating tuberculosis.

Unfortunately eradicating TB ...is not as simple ..

But TB is a ticking bomb ....

we need to tackle it on urgent basis ....

Bigger enemy than terrorism , naxalism or so on ....!

 

[Fahad Khan 2]

I thought India is already polio free...

 

[Indo-guy]

I thought India is already polio free...

Polio free for 3 years ....but the certification by WHO will come now . this is the waiting period ...operational requirement before country can be certified to be Polio free ...

 

[surya kiran]

Polio-free India to get WHO certification

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad being hugged by Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Oppostion, at the ‘India celebrates victory over polio’ event on Tuesday.

As India celebrates its victory over polio — completing three years without any case of the debilitating infection — the nation becomes entitled to polio-free certification by the World Health Organisation in March.

On Tuesday, President Pranab Mukherjee received Rotary International’s highest award — Award of Honour — a recognition for heads of nations or governments who have rendered unique service to humanity and served their countries and people.

“After this historic victory of humankind where millions of lives have been saved through tireless efforts of many, we have to take care of neighbours also. We should commit ourselves to creating a polio-free world,” Mr Mukherjee said at a function marked to celebrate the day.

Describing eradication of polio as an impressive achievement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attributed it to strong political will, assured financial commitment and a robust oversight of the strategy adopted by the government.

“Our success in eradicating polio has made us more confident of achieving our objectives of full immunisation against preventable diseases, universal healthcare and strengthening of primary healthcare infrastructure to address the needs of the most under-developed societies,” he said.

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said this landmark achievement rode on the confidence generated by the strategic investments made under the National Rural Health Mission. Virtually every child in the country was reached with the new indigenously developed bivalent polio vaccine, he noted.

In 1995, the disease affected more than 50,000 children in the country every year. Soon the number of polio infections reduced but eradicating polio remained a distant dream.

In 2009, India had half the number of polio cases in the world. By 2011, in less than two years’ time, India brought polio infections to the zero level.

This was achieved by involving over a million Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) and auxiliary nurse midwives and a 2.3-million-strong team of polio volunteers and 1.5-lakh supervisors in vaccination.

Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson, National Advisory Council, said the success was unmatched in scope and extent anywhere in the world. This had been made possible through teamwork and a highly creative communication strategy, which worked to dispel myths and fears and stimulated communities.

Margaret Chan, Director-General, World Health Organisation, said, “India has shown the world that there is no such thing as impossible. This is likely the greatest lesson, and the greatest inspiration for the rest of the world.” She attributed this to world-class health surveillance systems in India.

I thought India is already polio free...

It is, but the certification is only given if for 3 consecutive years there is no new polio case reported.

The efforts by all Indians and volunteers for this was tremendous. And was achieved not in a year but over more than a decade. Used to be a volunteer when was in college for this.