Ranbaxy Science Foundation (RSF) has planned its 12th Round Table Conference on " India and the Global Eradication of Polio" here on September 26. 2003. Leaders from policy planning and execution, technical advisors to the WHO and Government of India, members of the Certification Committee and Laboratory Containment Task Force, virologists and other scientists, are to be part of the event.
Prof. T.Jacob John from Vellore will be the Moderator. Dr. Nitya Anand, Chairman, RSF, Dr. Nalini Withana, WHO, Prof. N.K.Ganguly, ICMR, Dr. N.K.Arora, AIIMS, Dr. Sobhan Sarkar, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Dhananjoy Gupta, National Polio Surveillance Program will be among the distinguished speakers.
The speakers will examine and deliberate on the scientific, technological, philosophical, ethical and social aspects of the eradication process and look at the future scenario after interrupting wild poliovirus transmission. The Conference will discuss on the need, benefits and risks of continued use of OPV (Oral Polio Vaccine), as well as discontinuing OPV, after eradicating wild polioviruses and will also assess the potential of using the safe IPV (Injectable Polio Vaccine) and explore if there is a need to revise the strategy. The one-day conference will look at all issues exclusively from the scientists' viewpoint. The deliberations and conclusions of the Round Table will be documented and published as a Book/Monograph, by the RSF.
India committed itself to join the rest of the world in the global eradication of polio, by signing the WHO World Health Assembly Resolution in 1988. The target year for its completion was set as 2000, but it was not achieved. Eradication efforts have been in full swing for several years, with excellent reduction of incidence of polio. However, there was a setback in 2002, on account of a major outbreak of polio in UP and Bihar, with spillover cases in many States as west as Rajasthan, east as West Bengal and south as Karnataka. The outbreak also spilled over in time, to 2003, but appears to be waning fast. Success is possible in the current year or latest by 2004. It is now time to look towards the future.