India bids to keep polio threat at bay

New Delhi March 4, 2014 :- On January 13 this year India made a landmark achievement – it completed three years of not recording any new case of the debilitating infection polio. However, being surrounded by neighbours yet to achieve this feat, the country faces the danger of the virus making a comeback.

The Indian Government is now taking no chances and has made it mandatory for travellers from seven countries – Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Syria, Kenya, Somalia, Nigeria and Pakistan – to take oral polio vaccine to decrease the chances of the virus from penetrating the national boundary again.

All the travellers coming from these polio-affected countries, as well as Indian citizens going to these nations will need to take the vaccine at least six weeks before the travel date, an official statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said. The new rule came into effect on March 1.

Polio-free status

India is expected to be declared polio-free by the World Health Organisation by March end.

According to the WHO, as of 2013, only three countries – Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan – remain polio-endemic. Since two of these countries are India’s neighbours, the threat of the virus entering India, through migration remains strong.

“Years of efforts and huge financial resources have been invested by India for stopping polio. We cannot risk importation of polio virus, which is getting bigger and bigger with the recent outbreaks in the Middle East and earlier in the Horn of Africa region. This new preventive measure has been initiated as per the recommendations of the national and international expert bodies and the guidelines of the WHO,” said Anuradha Gupta, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The threat of polio re-infection, which the government is attempting to shield the country against, is real. In 2013 itself, it is estimated that six countries, which had earlier achieved polio-free status have been re-infected, the Ministry said.

Reports this year also suggest that the US, after remaining polio-free for about 35 years, could possibly be seeing a fresh outbreak of the disease after some children were identified with polio-like symptoms in the country.

“In view of the persisting threat of polio virus importation, the Independent Monitoring Board of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative recommended in its October 2013 report that the International Health Regulations should be used to ensure all people travelling from polio-endemic country are vaccinated prior to travel, and this should be extended to any persistently affected country,” the Ministry statement said.

The government’s move was also welcomed by the WHO.