Misconception fueled rate of Polio Cases in India

There has been an acute rise in polio cases in India with the number almost going twice to 155 in 29 revenue districts as on August 4 this year as against a total of 66 cases last year and 134 during 2004, a fresh data report presented by the Health Ministry, indicated.

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss acknowledged in the Rajya Sabha (upper House of the Indian parliament) Friday that the transmission of poliovirus may continue beyond 2006 as the country is likely to miss the current eradication target.

A misconception about the polio vaccine that it causes impotency, among the poor and illiterate people, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, who kept their children away from oral vaccination, magnified the number of polio cases.

The written data presented by the health minister before the house also indicated 138 polio cases from Uttar Pradesh, 14 from Bihar, and one each from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

The cases in Uttar Pradesh were mainly focused around Moradabad district, which is accountable for 71 per cent of all cases reported in the country so far.

"While cases have been concentrated in a fairly restricted area of western UP, more recently geographical spread has occurred and few cases have been reported from central UP", Ramadoss informed.

Besides the rumours and misconceptions, other factors like high density population, poor sanitation, and high birthrate along with high rate of enteroviruses that resulted in lower vaccine efficacy also prompted the polio cases.

"These factors, coupled with the fact the quality of the supplemental immunization activities deteriorated in 2005 and early 2006 in several districts - most notably in Moradabad - allowing for a build-up of non-immune children, have led to the increase in cases," the minister added.

Since the polio surveillance campaign began in India in 1997, the number of cases reported across the country was 6,297, Ramadoss confirmed.

Meanwhile, the Rotary International (RI), the world's first service club, which provides humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world, claimed that it has cleared the misconception among people of poor community that administration of polio vaccine resulted in impotency.

Notifying this to media persons in Bangalore on Friday, RI Pulse Polio Trust Chairman Bob Scot said a meeting was conducted with the leaders of the community in New Delhi yesterday and the issue was discussed in detail and all their doubts were made clear by telling them the significance of the vaccine.

However, the government has decided to project a plan for the treatment and rehabilitation of polio-stricken children between the age group of 3-18 years.