Slumdog Millionaire has definitely made India proud by winning eight Oscars. Those who have seen it or its Hindi version will agree that it is a really well directed movie based on a good story line and studded with captivating music and glimpse of classic cinematography.
We celebrate when Indian cricket team wins even when nobody makes a century. We appreciate the team efforts. And when Delhi Daredevils win IPL match Delhi-iets do not shun from enjoying the victory because team comprise foreign nationals. The world is so close today. As a proud Indian let’s applaud for the team efforts of Slumdog Millionaire.
The movie has shown the naked truth of Mumbai Slums. Those who really work in the slums for the welfare of these poor people years together are aware that slum conditions are even worse. How many of us know about multi-storeyed huts and that there is even a slum in Mumbai where one has to use a raft to reach the hut.
Those who really care and commit for the eradication of poverty rather than only paying lip service for them - ‘Jai Ho’.
Never in the history of mankind, has the battle been fought so fiercely, as against POLIO, as India gears up of for the first National Immunization Day of the New Year on 1st February which is popularly known as Pulse Polio. The last NID was held on 21st December last year.
The first written record of a Polio virus infection consists of hieroglyph from Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt, drawn in approximately 1400 BC, which depicts a temple priest called Sipath showing typical clinical signs of Paralytic Poliomyelitis. The three types of Polio viruses, Brunhilde, Lancig and Leon, popularly referred as type one, two and three have tendency to cause the dreadful disability among the victims.
There is no question that, Albert Sabin’s Oral Polio Vaccine has worked wonders, leading to the virtual disappearance of Polio from all but a few corners of the world. With the leadership of WHO the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) was launched in 1988. By the year 1999, the annual polio cases globally reduced by 99% and proven the feasibility of eradication. After October 1999 no case of paralytic polio due to wild poliovirus type two (one of three types) is detected anywhere in the world.
By 2002, the three of six WHO (World Health Organization) regions were certified for all three wild poliovirus types. However since 2003, several polio-free countries suffered new outbreaks following importations of a poliovirus from Nigeria while virus originating in India re-infected few more countries. In total, thousands of children in Polio-free areas were paralyzed, requiring the additional expenditure of over US$ 450 million for emergency response activities.
In last calendar year total 1643 new Polio cases (data as on 27th Jan 2009) were detected worldwide. Currently, only four countries still have indigenous poliovirus, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. In 2008 out of total 1643 cases 1496 cases occurred in these four countries; India (556), Pakistan (118), Afghanistan (31) and Nigeria (791). The remaining cases are from Nepal and few African countries.
Out of total 556 cases in India last year most are from the states of UP (302) and Bihar (233). After having only 134 Polio cases in 2004 and 66 Polio cases in 2005 there has been increase in number of cases in last three years in India. This was mainly due to jump in type 3 Polio cases from 2007 masking the drop in type 1 Polio cases. This rise in type 3 cases was expected as per the strategy of preferential treatment given to type one Polio virus by the eradication programme with use of special monovalent type one vaccine.
Throughout 2008, repeated Pulse Polio rounds delivering monovalent OPVs on average every four to six weeks in the two remaining endemic states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar reduced the levels of type 1 poliovirus transmission to its lowest levels ever in first quarter of 2008. The transmission of type 1 polio virus had been successfully interrupted in Uttar Pradesh for a period of 12 months, a feat never before achieved, in one of the most historically-entrenched polio reservoirs of the world.
However, reimportation of type 1 polio into Uttar Pradesh from Bihar in mid-2008 reiterates continuous need of watchful and innovative efforts. The UP and Bihar face both difficulties of extremely high poliovirus transmission and compromised OPV efficacy. This is mainly due to a unique combination of challenges like high population density, large number of newborn children, poor sanitation infrastructure, high intestinal disease burden etc. These factors require the implementation of a number of contingency plans to cement the gains achieved in attaining a high level of population immunity.
It is essential that all children receive vaccine in these rounds Once polio is eradicated all children will be freed of the risk of getting polio throughout their life. Even areas that are currently polio free have to continue with vaccination in Pulse Polio to prevent the risk of importation of wild poliovirus from neighbouring areas.
After Smallpox, Poliomyelitis eradication will be another milestone in the history of mankind. If all goes well, it is expected that the world can be certified free from Polio by 2013 and after being watchful for another four years the tomorrow’s children will not have to take Oral Polio vaccine at all from 2018 onwards, the same as we do not receive the Smallpox vaccine today.
However currently there is global funding gap of 340 million US $ for the activities to be carried out in the next two years after the contributions of around 1000 million US $ are either received or pledged. The major contributors over the years are USA and Rotary International while Gates Foundation has recently pledged 255 million US $. Polio eradication will only succeed if the necessary funds are made available, and with strong political commitment in polio affected countries. More than 10 million children will be paralysed in the next 40 years if the world fails to capitalize on its more than US $ 6 billion global investment in eradication.
The highest level of political, administrative ownership and support now needs to be sustained for successfully stopping polio virus transmission for ever. We all now need to make commitment to avoid any distraction or lack of participation in the Pulse Polio programme at this stage to not to imperil all the strenuous efforts made to date.
Let us not risk failure at the brink of success !
(Based on several authentic scientific references and data, published elsewhere)
A video clip "Eradicating Polio [What It Takes]" from Rotary International YouTube site.
Schools play a greater role in developing thoughtful desires and nurturing ambitions in the human being, knowingly or unknowingly. A school from backward region of Konkan about to celebrate its grand centenary in 2011 is no exception to that.
Konkan, though blessed by beauty of nature, still a relatively undeveloped and backward part of India have the tradition to give preference to knowledge over money and muscle power. It was no wonder that, when made fortune in business in Mumbai, Late Anant Shivaji Desai, despite himself hailing from extremely poor family donated a handsome amount of Rs.1,25,000/- almost hundred years ago to a group of educational activists from Malvan including Late Babasaheb Varadkar, Late Bapusaheb Desai, Late Krishnarao Sitaram Desai, Late Vinayak and Rajaram Ajgaonkar and others to start a school.
The school today educates nearly 2000 students from nursery to higher secondary every year. The modern amenities like computer lab have been introduced in recent years. A unique feature is the availability of a vast playground measuring seven and half acres for the sports activities.
The school has provided several eminent students for the service of the country over the years. The onus is now on the society to help generously to protect this heritage and promote the capabilities for the future.
And here comes another new year.... Wish you all a Happy and prosperous new year 2009. About the title.... Prasad is my name. Uvach is a word from 'Sanskrit'. It means 'says' in english. The blog is the space to express oneself and hence the name. Though I am a Public Health professional from India I assure the readers that the blog content will not be restricted to my preofessional field. As I think of it.... It will encompass the thoughts of an Indian born in 60s.... ...touching all possible aspects of life and the repurcussions of the events occuring worldwide. Needless to say it would be about the people of India and their wellbeing.
