Current status of polio eradication and future prospects

The launch and the progress of global polio eradication initiative lead to a world wide decline of polio cases during the last few years. India shared this progress till 2001, when the number of reported cases were 268. Reversing this trend India reported 1599 cases during 2002 thereby accounting for nearly 87% of cases detected globally. Strategies for polio eradication are being revised after realizing that strategies such as fixed booth approach have not been sufficient to interrupt wild polio virus transmission. Increased number of NIDs and additional SNIDs are being planed to reach the previously unreached children. Low literacy levels, high poverty and resistance for OPV immunization in certain areas has further compounded the problem. As the progress in India is critical for the global polio eradication, maintenance of high routine immunization coverage, monitoring of SIA quality, AFP surveillance and laboratory investigations are vital for a successful outcome of this initiative.