Polio Eradication

Emily Newton 

Photo Editor 

 Prior to declaring a country “disease free,” The World Health Organization (The WHO) requires a three-year gestation period to ensure that there were no reported cases of a particular disease. 

On January 13, 2014, India successfully completed its three-year gestation period for polio, a contagious viral illness that in its most severe form causes: paralysis, difficulty breathing, and even death.

By mid-February, the WHO will complete data analysis and will officially declare India polio-free!

In 1995, India began their eradication attempts against polio through its first round of vaccinations. At that time, there were 2,500 new polio cases per year.

The country’s high population, poor sanitation levels, lack of medical personal/supplies, and the general population’s lack of medical knowledge made eradication efforts seemingly impossible. Vaccinators had to travel to remote locations going door-to-door to administer vaccines and many times were turned down due to uncertainty and distrust.

19 years after initial vaccine administrations, the efforts truly seemed futile; in 2009, India accounted for one-half of the world’s polio cases. The polio eradication campaign had to take drastic action if their goal was to be met.

Sona Bari, the Geneva-based spokesperson of the WHO’s eradication campaign, stated that “the focus was not only in figuring out how to reach more than 172 million children under the age of five…with multiple doses of the vaccine, but also to do so in a timely manner…Equally important were the millions of vaccinators and social mobilizers—ordinary Indians who walked from home to home to deliver the vaccine and tell people about the importance of vaccination.”

The WHO’s eradication campaign seemed to go into full gear as millions assisted in the effort to cooperatively and efficiently eradicate polio through vaccine administration.

The Indian government spent over 1 billion U.S. dollars, and international assistance estimated to equal that amount. Volunteers, healthcare professionals, locals, and government officials all came together to participate in the campaign.

Finally, on January 13, 2011, the campaign deemed successful; there were no new cases of polio. India’s Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, calls the polio eradication in India “a historic milestone.”

Polio can come back at any time, especially being that it has not been eradicated worldwide.

However, India plans to continue to vaccinate to prevent the disease and plans on increasing awareness and educating the public on the importance of vaccinations.

Featured Image provided by:http://tribune.com.pk/