NEW DELHI: India's polio eradication programme is extremely successful, Julie Louise Gerberding, Director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), said on Tuesday. But the last few cases were always "difficult and most expensive" to deal with.

At a joint press conference with Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss here, she said the emergence of polio cases in India was neither alarming nor surprising "but we cannot afford to be complacent in our efforts."

The CDCP would continue to provide technical expertise to India; some of its best polio scientists were working here in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The CDCP has a world-class polio laboratory and its senior scientists are spread across the world, wherever polio still exists.

"Impressive results"

"Impressed" with the astonishing results in polio eradication, Ms Gerberding said there was need to periodically realign the programmes to suit requirements.

She had complete confidence in India's programmes.

Dr. Ramadoss said polio was not just a health problem; it was also a sanitation and over-population issue. "Just vaccination is not the answer. We need to educate the people and create awareness to dispel the myths associated with polio drops."

The November round of administration of polio drops was a success.

There was a massive increase in the number of children taking polio drops, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, where 481 cases were reported this year.

Of the 583 cases reported so far, the State accounted for the biggest number, followed by Bihar with 48.

Expressing the hope that polio would be eradicated in three years and that the number of new cases would come down considerably next year, Dr. Ramadoss said the Government was making massive efforts to create awareness by involving Muslim religious leaders also.

The U.S., through its Department of Human Health Services, the CDCP and the U.S. Agency for International Development, provides funding to fight polio in India. Funding is primarily directed through the WHO and the United Nations Children's Fund. In 2005, the U.S. provided $12.1 million; this year, it gave provided $12.4 million till date.

Funding from the U.S. supports the purchase of oral polio vaccines.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail