Drop in the Ocean
[ 23 Sep, 2006 0000hrs IST TIMES NEWS NETWORK ] http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2018963.cms Something is seriously wrong with India's polio eradication initiative (PEI). The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has raised doubts over why, after a decade of intensive implementation of polio vaccination, the incidence of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is on the increase, particularly in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The global average incidence of AFP is one in 100,000, but in India the incidence has suddenly risen to 12-13 per 100,000 since the implementation of the polio programme. IMA, not otherwise known for making proactive interventions, suspects a connection between vaccinations and rise in AFP, but the government is in denial mode. Incidence of AFP increased from 3,047 cases in 1997, when PEI had just begun, to 27,000 cases in 2005. There can be no denying that AFP has hit children who have been vaccinated. Meanwhile, there are reports of polio spreading to areas considered free of the disease, such as Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Centre along with UNICEF, Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organisation and Rotary International, which are spearheading the Global Polio Eradication Initiative should go slow on propaganda and instead take stock of the situation. By turning a blind eye to flaws in PEI, these global bodies have once again shown that their understanding of public health issues can be rather limited. There can be no one-shot solution to controlling disease. In the case of polio, vaccination is unlikely to work in isolation of improvement in sanitation and nutritional profile of affected populations. The pulse polio programme has diverted resources away from routine immunisation efforts. The latter, along with an improved physical environment, might have worked better at keeping polio in check. While there can be no argument against a controlled, rationally-administered polio initiative, data on polio incidence does point to disproportionate emphasis on the disease. Did WHO paint a scare scenario in the 1980s? On a larger point, the accent on vaccinations as a magic cure is open to question. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that excessive vaccination impacts immunity, rendering children vulnerable to asthma and strange allergies. Some even point to the possibility of neurological disorders. In India, children are administered up to 25 doses of polio vaccine, unheard of elsewhere in the world. The government has not chosen to inform people about the contraindications. Vaccination is all very well, but to the extent that it is driven by commercial interests it should not be seen as panacea for all ills. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ greenyouth mailinglist is the activist support mailinglist for kerala run by Global Alternate Information Applications (GAIA) To post to this group, send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
