Vaccine associated paralytic poliomyelitis

Polio Eradication in India: Myth or Reality

BACKGROUND

Poliomyelitis has been eradicated from large parts of the world. In South East Asian Region, India and Pakistan remain the only countries where active transmission of the disease persists. A decade-long initiative to eradicate the disease is in progress in India. Initial results were encouraging, with the number of fresh polio decreasing till 2001. The year 2002, however, witnessed a setback, with significant rise in cases of poliomyelitis.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The eradication measures have been reviewed. The corrective measures appear to be succeeding. Various facets of eradication and their impact are evaluated.

CONCLUSION

Poliomyelitis is controlled but the ultimate target of eradication may still be elusive, keeping in mind operational lacunae and vaccine virus characteristics.

Polio eradication in India: the way forward

Despite remarkable decline in the number of poliomyelitis cases, the dream of polio eradication in India remains elusive. This is despite considerable effort and expenditure for well over a decade. Various reasons have been cited for this and interventions implemented accordingly. None of these seem to have borne fruit. It is appropriate to have a relook at the polio eradication strategies in order to learn from past errors and determine a feasible solution to achieve the goal. This article examines important tissues that hamper the eradication effort and proposes a way forward.