India has got a pat on back from the World Health Organisation (WHO) for eliminating yaws, one of the most neglected tropical diseases, affecting poor countries. A chronic skin infection that affects skin, bone and cartilage, yaws can cause irreversible destruction of tissue and deformities in late stages. The disease can be prevented and cured by a single shot of long-acting Penicillin. Although India has not reported a single case of yaws since 2004, official declaration on elimination of the disease came in September 2006. Experts are keeping their fingers crossed as there is still a full calendar year to go before India can press its claim before WHO for certification of yaws eradication. Nearly 30 years after yaws re-emerged in India, the government has approved a project document submitted by the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) for the Yaws Eradication Programme. The programme was started in 1996 with a pilot project in Orissa's Koraput district and was expanded in 1999 to cover all endemic areas of the country. The NICD continues to keep a close watch on the 49 districts in 10 yaws-endemic states. These include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Tamil Nadu. The weekly epidemiological record of WHO has featured India's success story in its recent edition. Citing India's achievement, the WHO publication has expressed the hope that other countries would emulate India's example to rid themselves of this disease. "Following India's example, the WHO South-East Asia Region has set a target of 2012 for the elimination of yaws in the remaining two endemic countries, Indonesia and Timor Leste, the epidemiological record reads. Jai P. Narain, director, communicable diseases, WHO South-East Asia Regional Office said: "India's achievement in yaws elimination has been quoted as a powerful example for other countries to follow.' Dr Akshay Dhariwal, joint director, NICD, said here yesterday: "Yaws eradication programme was conceptualised by the NICD after eradication of small pox in 1980 and guinea worm in 2000. To encourage accurate reporting of any fresh case of yaws, the government had last year announced a cash incentive scheme of Rs 5,000 for a confirmed case of yaws and Rs 500 to any person who is the first to report such a case.' Dhariwal said that the NICD undertakes independent surveillance to ensure that there are no active cases of yaws.