India on its way to total eradication of polio: Global Polio Eradication Initiative

D.N.I.S. News Network - Disproving scepticism sparked by reports of polio cases even among children having undergone immunization, India could be on its way to attaining total polio eradication.

The optimism has been generated by Global Polio Eradication Initiative (G.P.E.I.)-- a joint forum of World Health Organization -- Unicef, Rotary International, The United States’ Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and National Governments, which has stated in its recent report that “India could be polio-free within months.”

In its September report, the G.P.E.I. noted that “India is recording its lowest ever rate of transmission. Data from areas using monovalent oral polio vaccine Type 1 continue to show strong results.”

According a newspaper report, National Technical Adviser to the Government on polio eradication, Shoban Sarkar, said there have been only 30 cases so far this year as against 54 cases for the same period last year and these were mainly focused in Badaun and Bareilly Districts in Uttar Pradesh.

The most important aspect is that the State Governments in both Uttar Pradesh and Bihar were working more intensely to eradicate the disease and the expectation is that the country would be able to achieve the goal of zero transmission of the cases by the end of the year.