India logs a year with no incidence of polio

New Delhi, Jan 13 (PTI) India Thursday completed a milestone of being polio-free for one whole year. The lone case of polio in 2011 had been detected in a two-year-old girl in Panchla block of Howrah district in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on January 13, 2011. "We are excited and hopeful and at the same time, vigilant and alert," said India's Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He said there is no room for complacency and there was need to ensure that no case of polio infection was reported for the next three consecutive years for India to celebrate eradication of poliomyelitis. The Minister noted that progress was remarkable considering that in 2009, India with 741 cases, accounted for nearly half the global cases. "This giant leap towards polio containment in a short span of two years is an endorsement of India’s tireless and persistent efforts. "India has set an example with the highest level of political commitment to the programme which reflects in its resource allocation, continuous efforts to identify and reach out to the most vulnerable children with tailored strategies for maximum reach, optimum use of available vaccines under the guidance of top national and international experts, an extraordinary communication strategy and strong partnership," he said. India has spent more than Rupees 120.0 billion (about USD 2.3 billion) on Pulse Polio Programme. It took a lead in introducing bivalent polio vaccine (bOPV) in January 2010. Despite global shortage of both bOPV and trivalent Polio vaccine, India tapped domestic market for timely supply of vaccine to ensure pulse polio rounds without interruptions. PTI Caption for pic: US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius administers polio drops to a child during a visit to a child and maternal care dispensary in New Delhi on Friday. PTI Photo