The progress towards eradication of poliovirus globally is one of the greatest success stories of the global health community. When the Global Polio Eradication Initiative started in 1988, polio paralysed more than 1000 children worldwide every day. Since then the global incidence of wild poliovirus cases has decreased by 99.9%, …
Could India be free of the highly infectious wild poliovirus? The signs are it may well be so, with the last case of poliomyelitis having been reported in West Bengal exactly a year ago. It is a rare, inspiring triumph for India in healthcare, with amped-up, extensive awareness and implementation …
Mass public campaign a success but experts warn of need for continued vigilance Not even superstition can render this Friday the 13th unlucky for India. Today, the nation will reach a major milestone in the history of polio eradication – a year without any case of wild polio being recorded. …
Many experts feel that injectable vaccine should be introduced during the transition phase With oral vaccines, India appears to have achieved what was once thought a Herculean task — decisively breaking the circulation of wild polio viruses that paralysed countless children. But the use of oral vaccines, which contain live …
The United Nations and leading world organizations celebrated India’s first polio free year and termed it as a major milestone in their fight against this dreaded disease. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan, termed it as the “greatest public health achievement” of India, the Bill Gates, of Bill …
The top US health official administered polio vaccination drops to children in New Delhi on Friday as India marked one year since its last case of the crippling disease. The milestone is a major victory in the global effort to eradicate polio. If no previously undisclosed cases are uncovered in …
On Friday, India will reach a major milestone in the battle against polio. January 13 will mark a year without a fresh case of polio in the country. Once all samples collected till January 12 have been cleared, India will be off the World Health Organisation’s list of polio-endemic countries, …
India’s near-eradication goal of polio faces serious threat from Pakistan. As the neighbouring nation struggles hard to contain the increasing P1 polio virus cases, in the process it might export the disease to India. For, in Pakistan about 145 people have already been infected so far this year, up from …
Rotary International is aiming to declare India as the first polio-free country in the next two years. The organisation is currently running its immunisation programs in four countries including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. “Over the last 11 months, we have not reported even a single case of polio in …
Thiruvananthapuram: The state health department has decided to clear the controversy over the pentavalent vaccine scare in Kerala by seeking the help of an expert team to find out what led to the death of an infant on Thursday. The team comprising experts from the Unicef, World Health Organisation and …
Hyderabad Not too long after the delisting episode of Shanta Biotech’s pentavalent hepatitis B vaccine Shan5, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now suspended the supply of hepatitis B vaccine (Revac-B+) manufactured by Bharat Biotech International (BBIL). It has also terminated the prequalification procedures for current applications for other vaccines …
Faced with an overall immunisation rate of 61 per cent and with even poster state Tamil Nadu steadily slipping, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare plans to designate 2012-13 as the year of “intensification of routine immunisation”. It has identified 204 districts in the country with less than 50 …
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has announced over Rs198 million in grants this year as part of its ongoing support to Pakistan’s polio eradication programme and to help the Sindh government carry out its relief programmes for flood-hit people. A press release issued by the foundation on Friday said …
If the battle to eradicate polio were an action movie, this week would be the part where the good guys have racked up spectacular victories – but look like they may lose anyway. On the spectacular side, polio may be gone in India. Of the four countries where polio remained …
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation on Wednesday announced new grants as part of its ongoing support to Pakistan's polio eradication programme and to assist the Sindh government's response to this year's floods. The grants will fund initiatives aiming to provide assistance to polio survivors as well as address the …
Concerned over the large number of child deaths due to measles every year, the Centre has launched a massive anti-measles vaccination drive. More than 13 crore children are expected to be covered under the Measles Catch-up Campaign, irrespective of their previous measles vaccination status. The drive has been launched by …
Finally, good news on the health front. Next year will be crucial for India’s polio eradication programme, which appears on track with only one case reported so far this year. “If no wild polio virus is identified throughout the high-transmission season in 2012,” said an article in a US Centres …
Japan provided $2.64 million support which would enable the government to procure 11 million doses of polio vaccines for rapid campaigns in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. The assistance would also be utilised on awareness campaign to eliminate misunderstanding and prejudice against the polio vaccination. Ambassador of Japan Hiroshi Oe, Unicef Representative …
Pakistan Premier Yousuf Raza Gilani has sought to blame an influx of Afghan refugees for persistence of polio in his country as Commonwealth leaders pledged to eradicate the crippling disease by announcing measures like a new $50-million funding. Mr Gilani made the remarks on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads …
Down to one case this year, India is hoping to attain polio-free status by the end of 2011. The government will now treat every new reported case of polio as a public health emergency to push for the eradication goal. For the first time since efforts began in 1985, the …
Only one polio case has been detected in the country in the past nine months, making it the longest polio-free period ever since eradication efforts were launched. Now closest ever to eradicating polio, the government has decided to treat any fresh case of polio as a “public health emergency” in …
