India goes one year without polio

Of the many diseases in India, one has hurt the lives of many people.  Many young lives have been put to such a waste because the kids couldn’t use their limbs properly – only because of lack of a vaccine that was easily available.  Over the years of India’s independence, Indian Government has tried but not enough to do its bit to eradicate the disease.  A lot of these programs were fractured by the corruption in the rank and file of the Government and the administration.

It has taken a private NGOs and world-wide UN effort to get past this disease.

Today, Melinda Gates, wife of Bill Gates and also co-founder and co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, tweeted about the congratulatory message she sent to the “End of Polio” effort which is working towards the end of Polio in India.  A news that has presumably missed the entire national press in India!!

Today #India celebrates a year without #polio. Send your congratulations via @theendofpolio. Here’s mine: http://bit.ly/z6lA2Q

Here is the congratulatory message:

“Congratulations to India and all the partners who have worked together to reach such a significant milestone for child heath. The progress India has made on polio shows that by combining the right elements like strong leadership, dedicated resources, and innovative approaches, we can improve health and save the lives of women and children.”

The entire effort is called “The End of Polio” and here is a video featuring yesteryear cricket great, BS Chandrasekhar – a guy who paradoxically took more runs than he scored runs – who discusses the scourge of polio.