India is polio-free: WHO
29 March 2014 5:21 AM IST
In a historic day for India, the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) certified the South-East Asia Region as polio-free on Thursday. Certification was done by an independent commission under the WHO certification process. This is the fourth of six WHO regions to be certified, marking an important step towards global polio eradication. With this step, 80 per cent of the world’s population now lives in certified polio-free regions. South-East Asia Region comprises of eleven member states, which include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.
An independent panel of eleven experts in public health, epidemiology, virology, clinical medicine and related specialties constituted the South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEA-RCCPE). The body reviewed evidence from countries before arriving at the decision that all eleven countries from the region are now polio-free and have met the requirements for certification. Before a region can be certified polio-free, several conditions must be satisfied such as: At least three years of zero confirmed cases due to indigenous wild polio virus; excellent laboratory-based surveillance for polio virus; demonstrated capacity to detect, report, and respond to imported cases of poliomyelitis; and assurance of safe containment of polio viruses in laboratories (introduced since 2000).
Regional Director for the WHO South-East Asia Region, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said, ‘This is a momentous victory for millions of health workers who have worked with governments, nongovernmental organizations, civil society and international partners to eradicate polio from the region. It is a sign of what we can bequeath our children when we work together,’ These South-East Asian countries are now preparing to introduce the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in routine immunization as part of the eventual phasing out of oral polio vaccines (OPV). More than 120 countries currently use only OPV. These countries will introduce a dose of IPV by the end of 2015 as part of their commitment to the global polio endgame.
An independent panel of eleven experts in public health, epidemiology, virology, clinical medicine and related specialties constituted the South-East Asia Regional Certification Commission for Polio Eradication (SEA-RCCPE). The body reviewed evidence from countries before arriving at the decision that all eleven countries from the region are now polio-free and have met the requirements for certification. Before a region can be certified polio-free, several conditions must be satisfied such as: At least three years of zero confirmed cases due to indigenous wild polio virus; excellent laboratory-based surveillance for polio virus; demonstrated capacity to detect, report, and respond to imported cases of poliomyelitis; and assurance of safe containment of polio viruses in laboratories (introduced since 2000).
Regional Director for the WHO South-East Asia Region, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said, ‘This is a momentous victory for millions of health workers who have worked with governments, nongovernmental organizations, civil society and international partners to eradicate polio from the region. It is a sign of what we can bequeath our children when we work together,’ These South-East Asian countries are now preparing to introduce the inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in routine immunization as part of the eventual phasing out of oral polio vaccines (OPV). More than 120 countries currently use only OPV. These countries will introduce a dose of IPV by the end of 2015 as part of their commitment to the global polio endgame.
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