Polio likely to have been eradicated in India, WHO says

Jan 12, 2012, 14:34 GMT

Geneva/Vienna - Polio disease has likely been eliminated in India, which was until recently the main country where the virus was still paralyzing children, several health and donor organizations announced Thursday.

Since January last year, no infection has been recorded, the World Health Organization in Geneva and other groups forming the Global Polio Eradication Initiative said - warning that it would take up several more weeks to confirm the eradication.

If India turns out to be free of polio, only three countries remain where in-country transmission of the disease has not been stopped: Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.

'Polio can be stopped when countries combine the right elements - political will, quality immunization campaigns, and an entire nation's determination' said Microsoft founder Bill Gates, whose foundation is part of the polio initiative.

More than 170 million children under the age of 5 have been vaccinated annually in the South Asian country.

The polio initiative warned, however, that the virus can be reimported after it has eradicated in a country, as has happened in China or Russia.

Read more about UN