Polio eradication and my role10 years ago, Rotarians of India, helped create a history. A large, highly populated, diverse country like ours is polio free, since Jan 2011 – a monumental achievement. This incredible success was due to a seamless partnership between the Govt. of India, WHO, UNICEF, CDC, The Rotary Foundation and Gates Foundation. Each of these partners excelled in their allotted role.
Rotarians of India, are rightfully proud of this achievement but let me remind you; India is polio free but not the World. The Polio Virus, which knows no national boundaries, is still active in neighboring countries.
Thus we cannot remain complacent. We have to continue to work hard – perhaps even harder to maintain our status as a polio free country.
What do we have to do to keep ourselves safe? Recollect the four pillars of polio eradication?
The first is National Immunization days . We have to continue to play the same active role in NID & SNID.
The second is outbreak response. Govt. of India is well geared up for this.
Third is Surveillance. WHO has set up a very good system of reporting a case of AFP.
Thus out of the 4 pillars, these 3 pillars are well established & functioning well. But what about the fourth and the most important pillar? Routine Immunization.
All these years, we seem to have not given the importance to this pivotal pillar.
Routine Immunization, has however become the most important way of not only keeping our children free from Polio, but also from other diseases which affect children very commonly
If every child gets polio vaccine in Routine Immunization , a time will come when NID & SNID will not be necessary.
The problem however lies in Routine Immunization coverage in India. The average Routine Immunization coverage is not satisfactory.
Govt. of India had launched a special program called Mission Indradhanush to increase the coverage. This was followed by a Clarion call by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to raise the coverage to more than 90 % .
Rotary is an official partner of Govt. of India in increasing and then sustaining the coverage of Routine Immunization throughout India.
There are several areas in Urban India where there is a lack of awareness, fear of injection and fear of reaction to Routine Immunization.
Yes, Routine Immunization includes not just polio but 7 other vaccines most of which have to be given by injection and does cause transient low fever or rash for a day or so.
Increasing the Routine Immunization coverage will not only keep India Polio Free but also has a potential to eliminate Tetanus, Rubella, Measles etc.
Measles causes fever, dry cough, rash in children. A few children can land up with complications that may sometimes, God forbid, lead to death.
568 die of measles every day, which is approx over 2 Lac every year in the world. Rubella is also contagious disease and can cause Abortion. It can cause Blindness & Heart defects in a new born if mother is affected. It is estimated that 40000 children are born every year with Rubella complication.
Vaccination can prevent this major problem. If Measles and Rubella vaccine is given only two times to children before the age of 2 yrs, these diseases can be conquered.
WHO thinks if the Routine Immunization, which includes MR vaccine, coverage is scaled up to 95 % in all the districts in India, it is possible to eradicate measles and bring down the rate of Rubella to a manageable level.
Years of work on polio has brought some major benefits. Our infrastructure such as cold chain, transport is in place all-over India and the immense experience that we have gathered will stand us in good stead in the future.
Govt. & WHO, have the knowledge of high risk and vulnerable areas. Each and every child in our country gets identified and record of routine immunization is well maintained.
Areas of resistance to immunization, areas of low immunization coverage, are well documented.
Thus my Rotarian Friends, Measles & Rubella can be and will be eradicated eliminated but Govt. of India needs our support.
Your ability to create awareness, minimize resistance, take proactive actions and above all … your selfless volunteerism is unparallelled.
Let us join hands with Govt. to create history – yet another historical achievement awaits us.
Friends, India stands on the threshold of another gigantic task, off vaccinating 1.3 billion people with the Covid Vaccine. While the Govt. has its blueprint ready, Rotary has offered its hand of partnership, to ensure that every Indian can walk free of Covid, forever.
What is needed is your commitment – your hands and your heart. Rotary India has given us a clarion call and let us all do the miracle.
A few Urdu Couplets to be added in between.