Why in the News?
The Indian government has proposed a phased winding down of the National Polio Surveillance Network (NPSN), a WHO-established network critical to tracking and eliminating polio in India.
About National Polio Surveillance Network (NPSN):
- Launch : The NPSN was established in 1997 as a collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India.
- Objective: Its main goal is to detect and monitor the poliovirus in India to enable quick response and containment.
- Operational Structure: The network functions under the National Polio Surveillance Project (NPSP) and includes over 200 field surveillance units across the country.
- Methodology: The core method is Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance, which tracks sudden paralysis in children under 15 — a key indicator of polio.
- Environmental Surveillance: The NPSN also tests sewage and water samples to detect silent circulation of the virus.
- Laboratory Support: A network of WHO-accredited laboratories confirms virus presence through testing of stool and water samples.
- Rapid Response: Every suspected case is quickly investigated, and public health teams are deployed for control and containment.
- Expanded Role: Over time, NPSN has also supported surveillance for measles, rubella, DPT, and helped train health workers on new vaccines.
Polio and Its Eradication in India:
- About: Polio is a highly infectious viral disease primarily affecting children under 5, potentially causing paralysis or death.
- Transmission: The disease spreads via the faecal-oral route, mostly through contaminated water or food.
- Types of Polioviruses:
- WPV1 still exists in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- WPV2 and WPV3 have been eradicated globally.
- Infection Mechanism: Once inside the body, the virus multiplies in the intestines and may attack the nervous system, causing permanent paralysis.
- Prevention through Vaccination:
- Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) is given at birth, 6, 10, and 14 weeks, with a booster at 16–24 months.
- Injectable Polio Vaccine (IPV) is administered with the third DPT dose under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
- Pulse Polio Campaign (1995): India launched the Pulse Polio Immunization Campaign, providing oral polio drops to all children under 5.
- Eradication Milestones: The last wild polio case in India was reported in 2011, and in 2014, WHO officially declared India polio-free.
- Role of NPSN: The success was enabled by strong surveillance, mass immunization, and dedicated work by NPSN and its partners.
| [UPSC 2016] ‘Mission Indradhanush’ launched by the Government of India pertains to:
(a) Immunization of children and pregnant women* (b) Construction of smart cities across the country (c) India’s own search for the Earth-like planets in outer space (d) New Educational Policy |
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