One More Country Down - Three to Go

 

A year ago yesterday, January 13, India reported its last case of Polio in an 18th month old girl.  For the last 17 years, India has been fighting a war against Polio; several years ago the country reported as many as 100,000 new cases a year. 

The only other countries where polio is considered an endemic is Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria.  While there have been some pop up cases in some countries, mainly China, scientists believe that the disease was brought in from other countries. 

"High levels of immunity in India will have to be maintained until there is global eradication achieved," says Dr. Hamid Jafari. 

To read the full article, check out NPR's health blog.