India National PolioPlus Society is a non-profit organization. The Initiative has achieved significant progress toward its goals. There has been a dramatic decline in cases everywhere in the seventeen years since the target was set in 1988.
Its volunteers throughout the world have helped organize national immunization days, staffed health stations and have given drops to children. Rotarians have helped leverage a further US$6.7 billion from the governments the-world-over for this cause.
In India, since the campaign was launched, the polio disease incidence has reduced to ‘zero' at present.[citation needed]
Indian Rotarians are also contributing to the program by donating large funds. During every NID /SNID, Indian Rotarians are seen volunteering by manning polio booths and administering polio drops to children.
Projects
India Rotary’s India National PolioPlus society (INPPS) has actively been involved in social mobilization, media management, and political, bureaucratic and religious advocacy to make Polio immunization widely acceptable; successfully gaining access to children who have never been reached before is an integral component of Rotary PolioPlus commitment.
Nearly 7000 polio-inflicted children have been operated upon and rehabilitated through 82 camps held in different endemic states of the country. Similarly, free health camps are being organized by Rotary in different districts to cater to the urgent health needs of the people including polio immunization.
Rotary also makes extensive use of various IEC materials, such as comic books, video vans, banners, and posters, etc. to publicize the cause of polio eradication. Deepak Kapur, Rotary’s National PolioPlus chair for India, leads team of volunteers who advocates and supports government to reach marginalized and migrant populations whose children were being missed vaccinated leading to the wild poliovirus surviving in India[1]. The mammoth effort led to 170 million children getting vaccinated against polio on every national immunization day[1].
Timeline
1580-1350 BC: An Egyptian tablet portrays a priest with a withered leg, suggesting Polio dates back to ancient times and has been paralysing people for centuries.
1840: German doctor Jakob Heine investigates and suggests polio may be contagious.
1894: An outbreak of infantile paralysis – subsequently identified as polio – sweeps the United States.
1972: Albert Sabin the inventor of OPV in a humanitarian gesture gives strains of Poliovirus to Rotary who further donates these to World Health Organization to increase their availability to developing countries.
1979: Rotary makes a 5-year pledge to immunize six million children in the Philippines against Polio.
1985: Rotary International pledges US$120 million to its fund, PolioPlus and raised US$240 million.
1986: Rotary provides US$2.6 million grant to Tamil Nadu (India) for a pilot Polio vaccination campaign.
1994: The Regional Commission certifies the Americas polio-free. A pilot Polio immunization activity is conducted in Delhi targeting 1.4 million children in the age groupof 0–3 years.
1995: Govt. of India launches its first nationwide polio campaign - NID (National Immunization Day), immunizing 88 million children in the age group of 0–3 years.
1996: NIDs conducted covering children up to the age of five years.
1999: Polio immunization activities intensified - house to house polio vaccination starts. Type P2 wild poliovirus eradicated from India and the World. The India Expert Advisory Group for polio constituted to guide the programme to achieve polio eradication in India.
2000: The Western Pacific Region is certified polio-free. A record 550 million children receive oral polio vaccine.
2001: UNICEF sets up Social Mobilization Network in Uttar Pradesh to mobilize community for accepting polio immunization.
2001-2002: Taking over from private donors, the Government of India takes the lead role in financing Polio eradication activities in the country using its own resources.
2002: Rotary International hosts Polio Summit in India to accelerate Polio eradication. Also, European Region is certified polio-free.
2003: Under-served strategy introduced as part of the communication strategy in India by UNICEF.
2004: The strategy to vaccinate children in transit is launched. Rotary International hosts its hugely successful Polio Summit the second time.
2005: The more effective monovalent oral polio vaccines (mOPV) introduced in polio programme by Govt. of India.
2006: Enumeration, vaccination and tracking of all newborns begins in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Operational strengthening to improve micro-planning for revisits to households with unvaccinated children after first contact with vaccinators.
2007: Rotary's constant bridge building efforts with the minority community helps in creating Rotary' Muslim Ulema Committee in Uttar Pradesh to garner support and leadership from the community towards polio eradication.
2007: Accelerated immunization rounds, almost every month, using the more efficient mOPVs begin in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Tracking newborns for polio vaccination begins. Identification and immunization of migratory populations to minimize the risk of virus spread from the remaining endemic states.
2008: Efforts intensify in Bihar's high- risk blocks under the 'Kosi-river plan'.
2009: The 107 Block Plan identifies highest risk blocks of UP and Bihar for intensified, focused approach addressing polio associated risk factors by promoting routine immunization, hand washing, sanitation, diarrhea management with zinc and ORS and exclusive breast-feeding up to six months of age. Intensive focus on coverage of migrant populations in brick kilns construction sites, urban slums and in nomadic settlements initiated.
2009: Rotary pledges to match US$200 million against Gates' Foundations USD 355 million.
2010: Bivalent oral polio vaccine tested and introduced by Govt. of India. IMB (Independent Monitoring Board) launched by WHO and the Executive Board to evaluate progress made by GPEI. India Expert Advisory Group on polio eradication recommends responding to any wild poliovirus detection as a public health emergency.
2011: Last incidence of Polio reported in Howrah, West Bengal on 13 January 2011. Aggressive mopping up vaccination in response to the only case in the country ...
A large scale mop up launched within 7 days of notification of the case and 3 mop up rounds conducted in 7 weeks from confirmation of the case. All States/UTs prepare Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to respond to any wild poliovirus as a public health emergency.
2012: February, Rotary International jointly with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India, hosts Polio Summit 2012 to renew commitment and efforts to ending Polio. On 25 February, during the Summit, India is removed from the list of polio endemic countries by WHO. May, at the Rotary International Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, it is announced that Rotary has successfully raised US$228.7 million against the Gate's Challenge grant of US$200 million. The Gates' Foundation recognizing this amazing match makes an additional US$50 million contribution.
September, at the UN 67th General Assembly Session, a special session on Polio is convened by United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki -moon with leaders from the endemic countries committing to ending Polio and Rotary International Commits additional US$75 million in the next three years to Polio.
Rotary International's contribution to the global fight against Polio exceeds US$1.2 billion while by end of 2018 it is projected to reach US$2 billion in contribution by the service organization.
2013: January, en route to regional Polio-free certification in 2014, India completes two years without a case of Polio.
A six-year comprehensive plan to eliminate Polio virus by 2018 titled 'Polio Eradication Endgame & Strategic Plan 2013-2018' is launched by GPEI and is endorsed by global leaders, donors and governments. Vaccine Summit in Abu Dhabi results in global leaders and donors pledging US$4 billion of US$5.5 billion budget for the six-year plan.
Rotary International and Gates Foundation announce joint fundraising campaign to bridge fund deficit of US$1.5 billion.
2013: World Polio Day on 23 October, commemorated across India by Rotary to throw light on the importance of ending Polio. 'End Polio Now' on iconic buildings illuminated across popular landmarks like India Gate, Red Fort in Delhi, Taj Ends Land and Kanchiguda Railway Station in Hyderabad amongst others.
2014: India completes three-year sans Polio on 13 January. Rotary celebrates nationwide with illumination of iconic buildings like India Gate, Red Fort, Agra Fort and Junagarh Palace.
On 11 February, Govt. of India celebrates 'India's victory over Polio' at a historic event graced by the President of India, the Prime Minister of India, leader of ruling political party, leader of the opposition party in parliament, Health Minister & RI President.
In March, India is declared Polio-free country along with the SEAR-WHO region.
Rotary International hosts a big event 'Polio-Free Conclave 2014' where India is joined by South East Asian Countries in celebrating Polio-free regional certification.
Political front
INPPS has garnered political support for the program by involving the President, the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, Health Ministers and local politicians in the program.
Rotary also enlisted bureaucratic support by involving the Cabinet Secretary, the Chief Secretary, the Principal Secretary, District Magistrates and other health officials in the polio campaign.
Rotary approached senior minority leaders such as the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid and the President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board and was successful in enlisting their support. Further INPPC formed a Rotary Muslim Ulema Committee in the state of Uttar Pradesh, consisting of senior Muslim scholars and religious leaders to address issues of resistance among the Muslim population and appeal to Muslim parents to immunize children against Polio.
Today, this Ulema Committee that Rotary helped set up in the State is a vital resource that the U.P. Govt. and other social organizations seek intervention from time to time for their ongoing programs to bring about an overall improvement in the social-economic life of the minority community.
Contributions and achievements
Humanitarian organizations world over are partnering with Rotary International in their biggest humanitarian initiative to rid the world of Polio. In a major boost to the eradication campaign, the Gates Foundation contributed a whopping US$355 million. Rotary International accepted to raise US$200 million against the Gates Foundation grant by June 2012. Rotary help raise the matching grant exceeding the challenge.
On 13 January 2012, India surpassed one year without detecting a single case of poliovirus.[2] On 27 March 2014, the World Health Organization (WHO) is expected to certify India as a polio free country, marking more than three years since the last case of polio there.[3]
India had traditionally been considered one of the toughest places in the world to eradicate polio. In 2009, India reported 741 polio cases, more than any other country in the world. In 2010, India reported just 42 cases out of 1,352 cases reported globally.
Google.org, inspired by Rotary's efforts donated a sum of US$3.5 million to the Polio eradication effort worldwide to Rotary Foundation. In India, the Aditya Birla Group with its patron Rajashree Birla, who is an honorary member of Rotary Club Mumbai has contributed US$9 million. Usha Mittal (of Arcellor Mittal Group) has donated to Rotary a total contribution of US$1.5 million towards Polio eradication fund. And, Harshad Mehta, chairman of Rosy Blue Diamond has contributed more than US$3.5 million.
In January 2014, India completed three years without a case of Polio and along with 10 SEAR countries was awarded the Southeast Asia Regional Polio-free certification by WHO on 27 March 2014.
Rotary is supplying material to Government of India to improve upon the Rotary Immunization level.
Related Research Articles
Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. In about 0.5 percent of cases, it moves from the gut to affect the central nervous system and there is muscle weakness resulting in a flaccid paralysis. This can occur over a few hours to a few days. The weakness most often involves the legs, but may less commonly involve the muscles of the head, neck and diaphragm. Many people fully recover. In those with muscle weakness, about 2 to 5 percent of children and 15 to 30 percent of adults die. For all those infected, in up to 70 percent of infections there are no symptoms. Another 25 percent of people have minor symptoms such as fever and a sore throat, and up to 5 percent have headache, neck stiffness and pains in the arms and legs. These people are usually back to normal within one or two weeks. Years after recovery, post-polio syndrome may occur, with a slow development of muscle weakness similar to that which the person had during the initial infection.
Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio). Two types are used: an inactivated poliovirus given by injection (IPV) and a weakened poliovirus given by mouth (OPV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends all children be fully vaccinated against polio. The two vaccines have eliminated polio from most of the world, and reduced the number of cases reported each year from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018.
The oral polio vaccine (OPV) AIDS hypothesis states that the AIDS pandemic originated from live polio vaccines prepared in chimpanzee tissue cultures, accidentally contaminated with SIV virus and then administered to up to one million Africans between 1957 and 1960 in experimental mass vaccination campaigns.
Pulse Polio is an immunisation campaign established by the government of India to eliminate poliomyelitis (polio) in India by vaccinating all children under the age of five years against the polio virus. The project fights polio through a large-scale, pulse vaccination programme and monitoring for poliomyelitis cases. Vellore, was the first Indian state to become 100% polio-free through the pulse strategy, and rest of India adopted the strategy in 1995.
Vaccination and religion have interrelations of varying kinds. No major religions prohibit vaccinations, and some consider it an obligation because of the potential to save lives. Many religions, however, provide that each individual has the right to decide whether or not to use vaccines according to his or her own moral conscience. Regardless, some parents either use religious adherence or use religions reasons to provide exemption.
A vaccine adverse event (VAE), sometimes referred to as a vaccine injury, is an adverse event caused by vaccination. The World Health Organization (WHO) knows VAEs as Adverse Events Following Immunization.
Contact immunity is the property of some vaccines, where a vaccinated individual can confer immunity upon unimmunized individuals through contact with bodily fluids or excrement. In other words, if person “A” has been vaccinated for virus X and person “B” has not, person “B” can receive immunity to virus X just by coming into contact with person “A”. The term was coined by Romanian physician Ioan Cantacuzino.
In medical terms, a booster dose is an extra administration of a vaccine after an earlier (primer) dose. After initial immunization, a booster injection or booster dose is a re-exposure to the immunizing antigen. It is intended to increase immunity against that antigen back to protective levels, after memory against that antigen has declined through time. For example, tetanus shot boosters are often recommended every 10 years, before which memory cells specific against tetanus have lost their function or undergone apoptosis.
Polio eradication, the permanent global cessation of circulation by the poliovirus and hence elimination of the poliomyelitis (polio) it causes, is the aim of a multinational public health effort begun in 1988, led by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Rotary Foundation. These organizations, along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Gates Foundation, have spearheaded the campaign through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Successful eradication of infectious diseases has been achieved twice before, with smallpox and bovine rinderpest.
Operation MECACAR is a multi-national immunization program launched in 1995 by the World Health Organization to coordinate polio vaccination efforts. The name of the operation was derived from the names of the regions participating in the operation: Eastern Mediterranean, Caucasus, Central Asian Republics and Russia. Currently, 18 countries are participating and more than 60 million children have been vaccinated.
Vaccination policy is the health policy a government adopts in relation to vaccination. Vaccination policies have been developed over the approximately two centuries since the invention of vaccination with the purpose of eradicating disease from, or creating a herd immunity for, the population the government aims to protect. Vaccination advisory committees within each country are usually responsible for providing information to governments that is used to make evidence-based decisions regarding vaccine and immunization policy.
Eradication is the reduction of an infectious disease's prevalence in the global host population to zero. It is sometimes confused with elimination, which describes either the reduction of an infectious disease's prevalence in a regional population to zero or the reduction of the global prevalence to a negligible amount. Further confusion arises from the use of the term eradication to refer to the total removal of a given pathogen from an individual, particularly in the context of HIV and certain other viruses where such cures are sought.
Measles & Rubella Initiative (MRI), launched in 2001, is a long-term commitment and partnership among leaders in public health and supports the goal of reducing measles deaths globally by 90% by 2010 compared to 2000 estimates.
The Rotary Foundation is a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.
The Pakistan Polio Eradication Programme has been fighting to end the crippling poliovirus for over 25 years. The initiative is driven by up to 260,000 polio vaccinators, the largest surveillance network in the world, quality data collection and analysis, state of the art laboratories, and some of the best epidemiologists and public health experts in Pakistan and the world.
Non-specific effects of vaccines are effects which go beyond the specific protective effects against the targeted diseases. Non-specific effects can be strongly beneficial by increasing protection against non-targeted infections. This has been shown with two live attenuated vaccines, BCG vaccine and measles vaccine, through multiple randomized controlled trials. Theoretically, non-specific effects of vaccines may be detrimental, increasing overall mortality despite providing protection against the target diseases. Although observational studies suggest that diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP) may be detrimental, these studies are at high risk of bias and have failed to replicate when conducted by independent groups.
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative is an initiative created in 1988, just after the World Health Assembly resolved to eradicate the disease poliomyelitis. Led by the World Health Organization, it is the largest international public health initiative in history.
The 2019–2020 Philippines polio outbreak is an ongoing epidemic. For the past 19 years, the Philippines was free of any polio-related diseases. It was until September 14, 2019, when the disease began to resurface through a positive test result done to a 3-year-old girl from Mindanao. After the confirmation of a second case from tests done on a 5-year-old boy, the government of the Philippines publicly declared the polio outbreak on September 19, 2019.
The Global Commission for the Certification of the Eradication of Poliomyelitis was formed in 1995 by the World Health Organization (WHO) to independently verify the eradication of wild poliovirus around the world. The commission has been able to certify five WHO regions as having eradicated wild poliovirus, with the Eastern Mediterranean Region being the sole remaining region yet to gain certification. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative, a related initiative begun by the WHO in 1988, has been able to reduce wild poliovirus cases by 99.99% through vaccination.
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