Publisher's Synopsis
Global program of polio eradication is facing an existential crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all health programs and the global economy; the portents are not good for polio eradication. Polio eradication must succeed, for the sake of children in low income countries - for which we have clear ideas how to go forward. You can help also.In 2020, there were 876 children paralysed by vaccine-lineage viruses, in 25 countries, mostly in Africa, as against 139 natural cases of polio in two South Asian countries. For every case of natural polio there were 6 cases of vaccine-polio. Vaccine-lineage virus polio outbreaks began in 2000 and have since then slowly but steadily increased. This is untenable under the eradication program. Swept under the carpet repeatedly, the bulge is showing. We want to discuss the risks imposed by the current form of global public health agenda. We tell you more about it in this book.Eradication program began in 1988 with the target year of 2000 for finishing line. We are now in 2020, facing the COVID-19 pandemic, and polio is almost forgotten by global academia and media. Since 2000, the program has been spending about one billion US dollars of donations every year, but yet there is no light at the end of the tunnel. This is unsustainable for a public health program needed only in low income countries. Failing to reach the finish line is one crisis. Creating polio and polio outbreaks in the name of eradication is a second crisis. The risks of financial crunch are an impending potential crisis. Are you concerned? If so, you should read this book.We must all say together, enough is enough; the program has to return to track. All those who have donated any funds to the program, dreamed about a polio-free world, spent any time for its success, taught about the program in academic and professional institutions, those who think about, believe and teach biomedical and public health ethics, health economics and disease epidemiology, the media as the conscience-keeper of the people and their governments, all of us are stakeholders. It is not enough to enumerate the symptoms of the malady, but we define its diagnosis and cause, presented with reasoning and evidence, and its remedy. All these and more, you will read in this book. Polio is eminently preventable - both natural polio and vaccine-virus polio: absolutely no doubt about it. Only when every polio case is prevented and all children protected from polio, by what rich countries do for assured polio prevention in their children, can we move ahead for completing global polio eradication. The world is already riddled with the myriad problems of the rich-poor divide. Public health programs, polio eradication being its most prominent long pending agenda, must not aggravate the inequity further. There is no polio in high income countries as it has been totally eliminated by the readily available intervention tools. Equity must be the synonym of public health. Double standard is not accepted in public health. Will you also lend your voice to our shouts? Please do let us know.
