WHO Reports India Polio-Free for Entire Year
According to the World Health Organization, India, once the world’s epicenter for polio transmission, has made it an entire year without a single case.
The number of polio-endemic countries is now down to three - Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.
"India’s success is arguably its greatest public health achievement and has provided a global opportunity to push for the end of polio," said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
According to WHO, India has to keep up its sensitive surveillance and high childhood immunity to guard against any recurrence – in 2011 poliovirus from Pakistan re-infected China.
Each year, more than 170 million children under the age of 5 are vaccinated in two national immunization campaigns in India, and up to 70 million children in the highest-risk areas are vaccinated multiple times in additional special campaigns.