India on right track: Expert advisory group on polio

The Expert Advisory Group on Polio has said the country is on the "right track" and lauded the Centre and state governments for maintaining polio-free status for over seven years, an official statement today said.

Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan chaired the 27th Meeting of the Polio India Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) to review the country programme activities and make recommendations today.

"The expert member group concluded that the country is on the right track. The experts commended the strong leadership of the government as the ownership of the state governments for maintaining polio-free status for more than seven years and ensuring that every child is vaccinated against the disease," a Health Ministry statement said.

The last case of polio in India was reported in January 2011.

The programme has ensured adequate protection of children through both mass polio vaccination campaigns and childhood immunisation.

Sudan noted that there are two types of polio vaccine - oral polio vaccine and injectable polio vaccine, which are both used in India to provide enhanced protection.

"We need to ensure that every child in India receives at least three doses of OPV and two doses of IPV during infancy. This in an invaluable investment for child health in India.

"The nation-wide polio campaigns should continue along with routine immunization strengthening initiatives such as Mission Indradhanush, Gram SwarajAbhiyan, and Extended-Gram Swaraj Abhiyan," she said.

Michel Zaffran, Head of Polio Eradication, WHO, said that globally the world is closer to polio eradication than ever before.

Zaffran said 11 cases have been registered in 2018 in only two countries Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"The experts appreciate the example that India sets for the rest of the world. By eliminating polio in India, the country has demonstrated that global polio eradication is feasible and within reach," Zaffran said.

The statement said that the group of experts appreciated the efforts of India in using both oral and injectable polio vaccines and recommends that this be continued so that no child in India gets paralysed ever again.

Community participation remains an integral part of the polio vaccination efforts in the country.

The expert group noted that more than 23 lakh vaccinators are mobilised to support every polio mass campaign during which 17 crores children get the oral polio drops.