Surveillance, the backbone of polio eradication

Much has been written about India’s success against polio. Much has been made of innovative operational techniques, strategies to reach under-served groups and the rapid development of new vaccine. A quieter but arguably fundamental hero in polio eradication in India, however, was the surveillance system.

“The setting up of a surveillance system proved to be the most important milestone in the journey of polio eradication in India as it formed the backbone of the eradication drive by helping identify areas and populations that were at risk and the type of poliovirus circulating in different areas besides measuring progress,” explains Dr Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India.

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