India must stay the course in efforts to eradicate polio

"Clearly, there is no room for complacency" in India's efforts to eradicate polio, defined by the WHO as no recorded case of the disease for three years, because "[t]he goal of complete eradication is within reach," Deepak Gupta, a senior U.N. professional in Strategic Health/Development Communication, writes in an Asia Sentinel opinion piece. "[T]he next three years -- till 2014 -- will be crucial," he writes, meaning experts should focus on "intense communication and preventive work, especially with regard to critical risk-factors like poor routine immunization and lack of proper sanitation," he states, concluding, "The challenge is to ensure the sustainability of the success achieved so far" (10/19).