LAHORE: Countries achieving polio eradication have successfully used Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV). Punjab introduced IPV in the year 2015 and has achieved great result by using both the vaccine. The world has been able to eradicate polio successfully by effective use of oral polio vaccine. These views were expressed by Punjab Health Services Director General Dr Munir Ahmed while reviewing a polio meeting of Expanded Programme on Immunisation technical team and international partners at the DG Health office on Tuesday. “The countries that have already eradicated polio use inactivated polio vaccine in routine immunization as virus is not present in their environment. However, for countries yet to succeed in polio eradication have to organise polio campaigns. The OPV vaccine is necessary to achieve complete eradication. Further, the OPV is not banned in any country in the world,” he added. He elaborated that Pakistan uses the same vaccine that is used the world over. This vaccine is prepared by World Health Organisation pre qualified firms and its complete record and trail is available. “There has been a big drop in polio cases in the country; from 306 cases in 2014, in 2015 Pakistan had 54 and in 2016 Pakistan has 15 cases and in 2017,” he said. The Polio Eradication & Endgame Strategic Plan 2013-2018 has been developed, in consultation with polio-affected countries, donors, partners and international advisory bodies. Polio was once feared worldwide, paralysing children for life. Since the launch of Global Polio Eradication Initiative, cases have dropped by 99 percent between 1988 and 2018, from around 350 000 cases in 1985 to 51 cases in 2015. Only three countries in the world are now left with transmission of polio, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria. Published in Daily Times, May 9th 2018.