Polio

Syllabus: Health (UPSC GS II, Prelims)
Source: New Indian Express

Context

India has been placed on high alert following a rise in polio cases in Pakistan and Afghanistan—the only two countries where the disease remains endemic.

About Polio

What is Polio?

• Polio (Poliomyelitis) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects the nervous system and can cause permanent paralysis or death.
• It mainly affects children under five years, though unvaccinated adults are also at risk.

Transmission

• Spread primarily through the faecal–oral route, via contaminated food or water.
• The virus multiplies in the intestine and spreads easily in areas with poor sanitation.
• Person-to-person transmission is also common in dense populations.

Symptoms

• Initial signs include fever, fatigue, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, and limb pain.
• 1 in 200 cases results in irreversible paralysis, usually in the legs.
• 5–10% of those paralysed die when their breathing muscles become immobilised.

Treatment and Prevention

• No cure exists; prevention through vaccination is the only protection.
• Two main vaccines:
  • Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV): Administered orally; provides intestinal immunity and helps block transmission.
  • Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): Injectable; offers systemic immunity.
• Multiple doses ensure lifelong protection.

India’s Journey to Eradication

• Last case: January 13, 2011 (Howrah, West Bengal).
• WHO certification: India declared Polio-free in 2014, after three years with no new cases.
• Success achieved through:
  • Pulse Polio Immunisation Programme
  • Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush
  • Robust surveillance and community outreach

Global Efforts

• Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI): Launched in 1988; reduced global cases by over 99% (from 350,000 in 125 countries to under 50 today).
• Polio-free regions:
  • Americas (1994)
  • Western Pacific (2000)
  • Europe (2002)
  • South-East Asia (2014)
  • Africa (2020)
• Endemic countries: Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only nations with wild poliovirus transmission.
• WHO continues surveillance, outbreak response, and vaccination drives to prevent resurgence globally.

Conclusion

India’s success in eradicating polio demonstrates the power of public health campaigns, vaccination, and community participation. Continued vigilance and cross-border cooperation are vital to prevent the virus’s re-entry and sustain a polio-free world.