NEW DELHI: India could eliminate polio by this year-end. "It is a possible goal, going by the kind of efforts being made to achieve the target," Robert Bob Scott, chairperson-elect, International PolioPlus Committee of Rotary International, said.

However, it would take three years for the country to be pronounced "polio-free."

While it was 500 cases a day a decade ago, it was 66 in 2005. It stood at 17 today. Thirty-three of the 35 States were almost free of polio.

Twenty-nine and five cases were reported from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar respectively this year.

Not enough polio drops

Mr. Scott told The Hindu here on Tuesday that resistance from a religious group, low levels of routine immunisation, lack of access to children and lack of commitment at the local level were some of the reasons that prevented polio eradication.

Insufficient polio drops and non-cooperation from local Governments were also matters of concern, he said but added that the funding was satisfactory.

"But the changes in the past two years had been amazing," Mr. Scott said as he recalled his meeting with Muslim clerics in Lucknow earlier this week. Twelve leading clerics from extended their support for promoting immunisation. "There was no note of dissent and their message to immunise children will spread across the country."

An all-religion meeting was held in Bihar to promote immunisation.

Rotary International's worldwide contribution for polio eradication amounted to $ 610 million. In India it has contributed $ 63.9 million until now.

The Rotary's polio corrective surgery and rehabilitation camps had given a boost to the polio eradication programme in India.

There were 1,600 cases in India in 2002 and the number had dwindled to 17 in 11 districts as on April 7 this year.

Polio-free zones

Tremendous progress had been made in efforts to eliminate polio worldwide. In the two decades since Rotary and its global partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, cases of the have reduced by 99 per cent worldwide.

Today, half of the world's population lived in certified polio-free areas. The Americas were declared polio-free in 1994, the Western Pacific region in 2000 and Europe in 2002.

Referring to the pulse polio campaign in India, Mr. Scott said it was the biggest public health initiative launched anywhere in the world.

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