‘South-East Asia must remain polio-free after certification’
Poonam Khetrapal Singh became the first woman to assume the office of WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia on February 1, 2014. Her priority …
Resurgent polio
Eradicating polio in India is proving to be a tough ask. The disease, which seemed to have been contained a few years ago, is rearing its head …
Malawi records Africa’s first wild polio virus cases in over 5 years
The case was detected in a three-year-old girl who began showing signs of paralysis from November 19, 2021
Polio eradication: we are not there yet
On the occasion of World Polio Day, we take a look at the challenges that three countries are facing in eradicating this debilitating disease
Global spread of vaccine-derived polio still a high risk: WHO
Recommends declaring transmission as a national public health emergency, ensuring vaccinations for travellers and residents
Polio eradication: ‘Need to invest in polio vaccines now to prevent resurgence’
Oral vaccine key defence against polio but also behind detection of vaccine-derived poliovirus in wastewater samples
Vaccine-derived polio virus found 50 times in India in six years
The vaccine-derived polio virus is a rare strain of polio virus that has genetically mutated from the strain contained in the oral polio vaccine
Polio eradication: Africa to vaccinate 21 million children
This would be the continent’s largest polio vaccination campaign since 2020
Walking tall
Jonas Salk, the man who humbled the dreaded polio virus, was that rarest of scientists, the "unconventional upstart"
Reach the last person
Will that crippling scourge called polio be wiped out from the face of the earth by the end of this year? The World Health Organization (WHO) …
Polio virus in sewage sample again: This time in UK
The detection signals spread between closely-linked individuals who were administered an oral polio vaccine overseas
WHO welcomes Afghanistan’s decision to resume door-to-door polio vaccination
The campaign will also cover more than 3.3 million children across the country who didn’t have access to the vaccine so far
Frequency of polio vaccination linked to paralysis: study
The number of cases of non-polio acute flaccid paralysis increased from 7,260 in 2000 to 59,462 in 2012, says a study
WHO nod to first emergency use vaccine can tackle rising vaccine-derived poliovirus cases
Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus occurs if a population is poorly vaccinated and there are enough susceptible children for excreted …
WHO report flags spike in cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus
At least 149 immunodeficiency vaccine-derived poliovirus cases were reported to WHO between 1961 and 2019
India's polio-free status a cruel joke
The definition of polio has been changed repeatedly since the programme was launched, thus automatically leading to a drastic fall in the number …
Africa eradicates polio, but vaccine-driven outbreaks rise
In Asia, India too was declared polio-free in 2014, but cVDPV was reported 50 times in the country in the past six years
Polio workers shot dead in Pakistan, country faces health crisis
Country’s northwest town Peshawar is world’s ‘largest reservoir’ of polio virus, says WHO
Polio - alive and kicking
The polio virus is possibly the most innocuous virus that affects humans. The improvement of sanitation standards across the world has meant …
Mode matters
A proposed injectable polio vaccine may cut down the risk of contracting the paralysing disease
Fresh cases of polio in Syria spark fears of global disease outbreak
Many people from Syria, who have fled West Asia to escape civil strife, may carry the disease to nations where they seek refuge
World Health Summit: Global leaders pledge $2.5 billion for polio eradication
2022-2026 strategy to end polio needs $4.8 billion
Polio virus spreads to seven more countries, WHO sounds alarm
Successes in global polio eradication under serious threat, says international health agency
A tale of two diseases
India is the shining star in the global battle to eradicate smallpox. It is also a branded villain as far as polio is concerned. How is it that …
Existing polio vaccines may not always prevent infection
Antibodies normally produced in response to infection are unable to block mutant polio virus