India National PolioPlus

Rotary Polio 2

India National PolioPlus is a major public health initiative aimed at eradicating poliomyelitis (polio) in India. Launched in collaboration with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the program represents a concerted effort by the Government of India, World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary International, and other partners. The initiative has been instrumental in making India polio-free, a status officially declared by the WHO in March 2014.

Background

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that primarily affects children under the age of five. It can lead to permanent paralysis and even death. The virus is transmitted through person-to-person contact and spreads mainly through the fecal-oral route or, less frequently, through contaminated water or food. The Polio vaccine, introduced by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1955, has been the primary tool in fighting the disease.

Launch of India National PolioPlus

The India National PolioPlus Committee was formed under the aegis of Rotary International's PolioPlus program, which was launched globally in 1985. The initiative in India began in earnest in 1995, with the goal of immunizing all children under the age of five against polio. The program implemented several strategies, including National Immunization Days (NID), where two rounds of polio drops were given to children nationwide, regardless of their previous immunization status.

Strategies and Implementation

The program's strategies included: - Intensive vaccination campaigns, known as Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) drives. - Surveillance of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) to detect polio cases. - mOPV (monovalent oral polio vaccine) and bOPV (bivalent oral polio vaccine) usage to address different strains of the poliovirus. - Social mobilization and awareness campaigns to educate communities about the importance of vaccination.

Challenges

The initiative faced several challenges, including: - High population density and mobility, which facilitated the spread of the virus. - Resistance and hesitancy among certain communities due to misinformation and cultural beliefs. - Difficulties in accessing remote and conflict-affected areas.

Achievements

India's last reported case of wild poliovirus was in January 2011, in the state of West Bengal. The successful eradication of polio in India is considered one of the most significant achievements in global health. The strategies and lessons learned from the India National PolioPlus program have been used to inform polio eradication efforts in other countries.

Legacy and Continuing Efforts

Despite the eradication of polio, the India National PolioPlus Committee continues to work on maintaining high immunity levels among children through routine immunization and polio vaccination campaigns. This is crucial to prevent the re-importation of the virus and to protect against vaccine-derived polioviruses (VDPVs), which can emerge in under-immunized populations.