Fresh Polio Case Will Be Treated As Public Health Emergency

Government has decided to treat any fresh case of polio as a public health emergency in order to achieve complete polio eradication in the country at the earliest. The Centre has also prepared an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to intensify measures to build the immunity of children against polio in all high risk areas. On the eve of World Polio Day, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has said that efforts will be further intensified to stop any residual polio virus circulation and to prevent any polio case in the most vulnerable populations including the newborns and the migrants. The International Monitoring Board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in its latest report has also said that India stands alone as the country that has made consistent progress in polio eradication over a prolonged period of time. According to an official release, only one polio case has been detected so far this year in the country making it the longest polio-free period ever since the launch of the eradication drive. The only case of polio reported this year has been from Howrah district in West Bengal. Special strategies are being executed to protect children on the move especially those of migrants, nomads and brick kiln workers and the families returning to their homes in the endemic states on important festivals such as Holi, Diwali and Chatth. With the risk of polio importation from neighboring countries on the rise, immunization has been intensified at the Wagah border and Attari train station in Punjab and Barmer district of Rajasthan. All children crossing over into India by road and train are being administered polio vaccine.