WHO Announcement: India three years polio-free
Excerpt
Wild poliovirus has not been found in India since 13 January 2011 meaning that, from that date, India is no longer a country where polio is endemic. Three years of being polio free is a notable milestone for the country as a whole, but the success of the immunization and awareness campaign has had a wider impact – with this achievement, it is hoped that soon the entire South-East Asia Region can be considered certifiably free from polio. A commission of experts will meet at the World Health Organization offices at the end of March to analyze the data and determine the polio status for the Region.

Historically, India has been the largest endemic reservoir of polio in the world with between 50,000 to 100,000 paralytic polio cases occurring each year between 1978 and 1995. It has also been one of the main sources of polio importation for other countries. This achievement has been driven by the partnership between the Government of India, international organizations, local NGOs and other institutions. An extraordinary mobilization of health workers was necessary to reach this point, particularly in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states. The outcome of this has been an improved vaccine delivery system, better trained health staff and high quality surveillance, monitoring and research mechanisms…
http://www.searo.who.int/mediacentre/features/2014/sea-polio/en/index.html

Commentary: Standing tall against polio– by Seth Berkley
The Hindustan Times | 12 January 2014
Today marks a major global public health milestone and a huge success as India celebrates the third anniversary of its last reported case of wild polio virus and counts down to when the World Health Organization (WHO) is due to declare India as officially polio-free. But with nearly seven million children still not receiving basic immunisation, there is still so much more to be done, and if India were to build on this success then in a few years it could have so much more to celebrate.

Commentary: Gates Foundation Reflections on a Polio-Free India – Impatient Optimists

IVAC Blog: From India, Achievement, Lessons Learned, and Hope
By Dr. Kate O’Brien, Executive Director, IVAC
http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/ivac/IVACBlog/From_India_Achievement_Lessons_Learned_and_Hope