Experts look back on 10 years of wild polio-free certification in Southeast Asia – GPEI

What was your role in the fight to eradicate wild polio in Southeast Asia/your country?

My fight against polio in India began in 1995 during the first immunization drive (NID). At the time, Rotary played a key role in persuading the Indian government to introduce a National Immunization Day inspired by successful programs in Brazil and other countries. My involvement in Rotary's polio eradication efforts was further strengthened in 2001 when I was appointed chair of Rotary International's India PolioPlus Committee (INPPC). In this position he has held for 23 years, I hope that not only our region but the entire world will be completely free of wild poliovirus (WPV).

Describe a time when you faced immense obstacles in the fight to eradicate wild polio in your region., What helped you be optimistic?

Over the years, the partnership between WHO, UNICEF, CDC, and Rotary has faced countless obstacles along the way, and many times we have literally hit a wall. One such challenge arose when booster immunizations were alternating between monovalent oral polio vaccine type 1 (mOPV1) and monovalent oral polio vaccine type 3 (mOPV3). After these campaigns, we started noticing a seesaw effect. Focusing on one type of polio increases the number of cases of other types of polio. When we were focused on his mOPV1 rounds, WPV3 cases increased and vice versa. However, this problem was finally resolved with the introduction of the bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), which contains only two components of the attenuated live viruses of the WPV1 and WPV3 strains. This formulation removed his WPV2 strain from the vaccine, which previously reduced its effectiveness. Using bOPV, he was able to simultaneously address WPV1 and WPV3 outbreaks, especially in the northern states of India.

What are the key lessons learned from the fight to eradicate wild polio in your region that the rest of the world can learn to stop the virus globally?

The fight against polio in India has taught us many valuable lessons. One important lesson is a never-say-die attitude. Another is the power of partnership and what it can achieve, as demonstrated jointly by WHO, UNICEF, Rotary, and the Government of India. Perhaps the most important lesson we have learned, which can be applied to other health and social initiatives not only in our country and region but around the world, is that every movement translates into a people's movement. It means that it has to be done. When the beneficiaries themselves start demanding immunizations and vaccines, and realize and appreciate the value of what we are giving them free of charge, then the program will turn into a people's movement and success will be guaranteed.

What does it mean to you that there is no wild polio in your area in 10 years?

The world's leading experts predicted that India would be the last country to eradicate polio. But we proved them wrong, recording our last case of wild poliovirus on January 13, 2011, and achieving polio-free status on March 27, 2014. The country remained polio-free for three years. His decade-long success in polio eradication lies in his two basic strategies. First, our diligent immunization efforts have ensured that nearly all children under the age of five receive either the intravenous polio drops or the injectable polio vaccine. Secondly, our exceptional surveillance system, implemented by the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP), a joint venture between the Government of India and WHO, provides world-class surveillance and surveillance of polio cases. These strategies have helped us not only achieve but remain polio-free to this day.