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Tackling the polio crisis

India faces the risk of poliomyelitis making a large-scale comeback. So far this year 416 cases have been recorded in nine States, representing 26 per cent of the global total. The whole of 2005 saw 66 Indian cases: a global share of three per cent. Over the past few weeks, there has been a sharp rise in the number of reported cases. Not surprisingly, most of the victims are from the poorest strata of society and less-than-comprehensive coverage of the anti-polio campaign is the principal cause. There may well be a case for reviewing and re-orienting the Pulse Polio Campaign. Questions have been raised about the quality and efficacy of the vaccine, given lacunae in storage and transportation. If in some cases children who were given the correct dosage fell victim to polio, malnourishment and poor sanitation might have been contributory factors. A well-designed educational campaign can help get the message across to the target population. Large numbers of motivated volunteers should be deployed for this drive. A clear focus should be on densely populated villages of western Uttar Pradesh where immunisation has been obstructed because of misconceptions about the vaccine — the State accounts for about 90 per cent of this year's cases. With Rs.1,039 crore earmarked for the anti-polio drive in 2006-2007, a lack of resources cannot be pleaded. India must go determinedly for the eradication of polio as a top public health priority.

At the global level, with Kenya reporting its first polio case in 22 years this month, the number of countries in Africa, Asia, and West Asia that have been re-infected since a 2003-2004 vaccine boycott by hard-line Nigerian clerics has risen to 26. This marks a serious slide in the eradication effort launched by the World Health Organisation under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative 18 years ago, when there were annually more than 350,000 cases globally. The target year for eradication was supposed to be 2005. However, polio remains endemic in Nigeria, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, while imported cases have been confirmed in eight more countries. Nigeria has reported 888 cases so far this year. Ridding the world of polio may take longer than expected but slippages highlight the failure of countries, systems, and policies to do the minimum for those living in deprivation. At a time the theme of `India rising' is making international waves, failure to go all out to protect the most vulnerable among the nation's children will be morally indefensible.

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