Polio Eradication in India

GS2/Health

Context

• India’s achievement of polio-free status in 2014 represents one of the most significant successes in global public health. 

About

• India’s participation in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) complemented by the robust national immunization efforts under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) made it successful.

Polio

• Polio (poliomyelitis) is a highly contagious viral disease caused by the poliovirus. 
• It primarily affects children under the age of 5 and can lead to severe complications such as paralysis, disability, or even death. 
• Spread: Polio spreads mainly through fecal-oral transmission. 
  • It can also be spread via respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing.
• Symptoms: 
  • Most cases are mild or asymptomatic. 
  • A smaller percentage of infected individuals develop paralytic polio, which can cause paralysis, usually affecting the legs or respiratory muscles.
• Vaccination: 
  • There is no cure for polio, it can only be prevented. 
  • Polio vaccine, given multiple times, can protect a child for life. 
  • There are two vaccines available: oral polio vaccine and inactivated polio vaccine. Both are effective and safe.

India’s Efforts in Polio Eradication:

• Pulse Polio Programme Launch (1995): It used an Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) strategy, reaching over 1 million children and ensuring every child under five was vaccinated.
  • The campaign became iconic, with the slogan “Do Boond Zindagi Ki” (Two drops of life).
• Routine Immunization and System Strengthening: The UIP provided free vaccines against polio, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), tetanus, measles, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis.
• Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) Introduction (2015): IPV provides additional protection against polio, especially against type 2 poliovirus, and was gradually expanded nationwide by 2016. 
• Political Will and Community Engagement: Political leaders at all levels ensured that resources were allocated and the program received the needed attention.
  • The Pulse Polio campaigns also relied heavily on door-to-door efforts, reaching children in difficult-to-reach areas.
• Final Leap: On 27th March 2014, India was officially declared polio-free, a milestone celebrated globally as an example of successful public health intervention.

Way Ahead

• Annual Polio Campaigns: India continues to conduct National Immunization Days (NID) and Sub-National Immunization Days (SNID) annually to keep immunity levels high and ensure that no child is missed.
• Surveillance and Border Vaccination: Continuous surveillance and vaccination at international borders continues to mitigate the risk of polio re-importation from endemic regions.
• New Vaccines and Expansion: India has introduced several new vaccines under its immunization program, including Rotavirus, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), and Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, as part of broader efforts to prevent other vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Mission Indradhanush: Launched in 2014, it aims to increase immunization coverage to 90%. 

Source: PIB