India, once considered the epicenter of polio, has marked one year since its last reported case of the disease. The number of polio cases in India was as high as 150,000 in 1985, but since then efforts and campaigns supported by donations have all but led to the eradication of the disease. Polio is a highly infectious disease caused by a virus. It attacks the nervous system, and can cause total paralysis in a matter of hours. It mainly affects children under five years of age. Polio cases worldwide have decreased by over 99 percent since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases then, to 1,349 reported cases in 2010. The reduction is the result of the global effort to eradicate the disease. Polio vaccinations are rigorously provided in India to newborns and are funded by such organizations as the Rotary Club, which consists of 1.2 million members and have raised $200 million in funding for polio eradication, UNICEF and the WHO. “We'll celebrate this milestone, but it doesn't mean that we'll stop raising money or spreading the word about polio eradication,” Rotary Foundation Trustee John F. Germ told Rotary leaders at the International Assembly in San Diego. “We can't stop until our entire world is certified as polio-free.” But the battle is not over yet. As long as a single child remains infected, children in all countries are at risk of contracting polio. In 2009-2010, 23 previously polio-free countries were re-infected due to imports of the virus. It is therefore vital for undisclosed cases in India to come to light in order for India to be truly considered polio-free. Bill Gates, a major contributor to Rotary Club, was quoted to say: “If we all have the fortitude to see this effort through to the end, then we will eradicate polio.” In the meantime, if no previously unreported cases of the disease are discovered, India will finally no longer be considered polio endemic. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/4MCkQ Tags: Eradicated, India, Polio Section: Health, Latest News, South Asia
