It is a welcome development that the bivalent oral polio vaccine, which is being seen as a ray of hope to eradicate polio, has been launched in India. The need for the new vaccine that simultaneously tackles two types of viruses — type one and three — has been felt for some time as India remains one of the few nations in the world still fighting to eradicate polio. While the introduction of the new vaccine, to be used first in Bihar and then in UP, marks a significant move, it is not enough by itself.
Vaccination against polio was initiated way back in 1978. India launched its Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme in 1995 to cover all children below three years of age. Later the target age was raised to five years. Even though the nation spends Rs 1,200 core every year on polio control, the disease continues to cripple its children. The virus that causes polio invades the nervous system through the mouth and leads to paralysis within hours, affecting children below five years. Though India has made tremendous progress in controlling polio, it has been unable to eradicate it completely. While the nation bears nearly half the global burden of the crippling disease, UP and Bihar alone account for 97 per cent of polio cases in India. The reasons are not far to seek. Besides shortfalls in the Nation Rural Health Mission’s pulse polio targets, the CAG has found glaring state-level deficiencies in the implementation of the Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme.Polio-free India is not an impossible goal. However, a mission that had to be achieved by 2005 continues to elude the nation and will do so till the disease is fought on all fronts. Besides plugging gaps in cold chain supply, implementation of polio drives as well as awareness campaigns have to be more concerted, leaving no room for complacency or slip-ups. High-risk groups like migrants with small children and those living in unhygienic conditions need to be covered more aggressively. With global support coming from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, greater government will is needed to rid India of polio completely.
Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh, India.
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