India still faces challenges in efforts to eradicate polio

The PBS NewsHour examines polio eradication efforts in India, which has gone an entire year without reporting a polio case. "For India, the challenge is to remain vigilant and polio free for two more years to officially fall off the list of endemic countries," according to the news service (De Sam Lazaro, 2/20). "The success in India has been achieved through a partnership between the Indian government, with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), Rotary, UNICEF and with major contributions from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation," BBC News reports in an analysis of India's success. "The global effort to eradicate polio is the biggest public health initiative in history. It has cost billions and has already stopped a huge amount of disability and many deaths," but the disease remains endemic in three countries -- Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan, the news service notes (Walsh, 2/19).