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%, …
Having launched a global quest to “reinvent the toilet” last year, Bill Gates — Microsoft founder-turned-philanthropist — could soon turn his focus on the filthy toilets used by Indian Railways passengers. In a meeting with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh here on Wednesday, Mr. Gates discussed the idea of jointly …
A study published in the current issue of Indian Journal of Medical Research, which found that vaccine vial monitors (VVMs) used for polio vaccine are prone to malfunction at temperatures of 45 degrees celsius or higher, could have serious consequences for pulse polio drive in northern and eastern states during …
The government is planning to make cancer a “notifiable disease”, which will mean every case will have to be reported. Till now infectious diseases like polio, plague, H1N1, H5N1 (bird flu) figure in the list of notifiable diseases. Recently, tuberculosis was made a notifiable disease. Cancer would become the first …
Tackling polio has entered "emergency mode" according to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative after "explosive" outbreaks in countries previously free of the disease. It has launched a plan to boost vaccination in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only countries where the disease is still endemic. Experts fear the disease could …
The last three countries where polio is still paralysing children -- Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria -- said on Thursday that they have enlisted Muslim women and religious leaders to allay fears of vaccination and wipe out the disease. Polio cases are at an all-time low worldwide, following its eradication in …
The World Health Organization is expected to declare polio a global emergency after outbreaks in countries previously free of the disease. The WHO wants to boost programmes in Nigeria, Pakistan and Afghanistan, the only countries where the disease is still endemic. It says tackling polio is "at a tipping point …
Quetta—An emergency action plan to control polio in the areas along Afghan border including Chaman was launched on Monday. Health Department, government of Balochistan said a three-day immunization campaign against polio was launched in Chaman, Pishin, and adjoining areas. They said maximum number of polio cases have been reported in …
With no new polio cases being reported for more than a year, India’s experience of containing the dreaded virus is now being replicated in Pakistan. Following the example of its India chapter, the Pakistani arm of Rotary International has adopted several strategies that have proved to be winners in India. …
Ella Foundation has won a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations Grant, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This Grant will help Ella Foundation pursue efforts to checkmate the polio virus during and after the eradication of polio. The aim is to have a live polio vaccine, which …
The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices to the Punjab government for May 24 on a petition pleading to declare that oral polio vaccine (OPV) was not properly provided to children, according to international standards and directions for a judicial inquiry against responsible authorities. Justice Umar Ata Bandial issued …
The residents of 15 villages have boycotted the polio vaccination to protest alleged lack of proper nutrition and other facilities to the children by the state-run Anganwadi Centres in Munger district, official sources said on Wednesday. Parents did not allow health workers to vaccinate their wards during the ongoing polio …
“Nearly 9.7 million children in the South-East Asian region still do not get the most basic of vaccines like the third dose of DTP-containing vaccine. Immunisation is one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. Growing opportunities through new funding as well as research and development initiatives should not go …
Begum Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Social Sector Polio Vaccination and focal person on Polio Eradition, has said the three-day polio vaccination expedition campaign will be started from Monday. Talking to Radio Pakistan, she said polio teams will go house to house to administer polio drops …
CHENNAI: On the occasion of National Immunisation Day on Sunday, over 170 million children were vaccinated against polio in vaccination booths set up across the country. This has been followed by 5 days of door-to-door immunisation activity. Though the NID is a Government of India initiative, in Chennai groups like …
A total of 4.48 lakh children under the age of five under the old limits of the Chennai Corporation were covered in the second phase of pulse polio vaccination held here on Sunday. Over 4,500 staff and volunteers participated in the drive. A total of 4,95,512 children below the age …
LUCKNOW: The district health administration will hold the Pulse Polio Immunisation Day on Sunday (April 15). While the administration has targeted about six lakh children (up to five years) in the district under the drive, special focus would be on rural areas. Chief medical officer, Varanasi Dr Gyan Prakash said …
Paralysis is the first sign of trouble. As paralysis threatened 18-month-old Sumi Naskar’s tiny body, it also threatened to end India’s polio-free run. This, after we celebrated with great pomp and show, on 12 January 2012, India’s first polio-free year. Sumi had developed Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP), more simply put: …
World Health Organisation (Who) has declared Pakistan a `high risk` country with regard to international spread of polio virus, and travel restrictions may be imposed on Pakistan under International Health regulation, if polio campaign will remain weak in the country. Who National Consultant Punjab Dr Shafiq-ur-Rehman said on Wednesday that …
The Sri Lankan government Wednesday launched a public health program to alleviate the malnutrition in the country and control the no-communicable diseases among the country's population. Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa launching the "Mihi Meth Suwa Sara" program at the Temple Trees today said the government targets to build a …
Even though India appears to have done fairly well in combatting polio by administering oral drops, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a meeting scheduled this week is likely to deliberate on injectable option, in a bid to ensure complete elimination of the polio virus. Recommended by the India Expert …
