Substantial progress has been made towards achieving global eradication of poliomyelitis by the end of the year 2000; the goal set by the World Health Assembly in May 1988. The basic strategies to eradicate polio are: attaining high routine coverage with at least three doses of OPV; conducting national immunization days (NIDs) in polio endemic countries; establishing a sensitive system of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) surveillance to track wild poliovirus circulation; and conducting "mopping-up" immunization when polio is reduced to focal transmission. By the end of 2000. India was in the midst of the sixth National Immunization Days (NIDs). Surveillance system for Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) continued to achieve the recommended non-polio AFP rate of at least 1 per 100,000 population < 15 years per year (1.88 for week 51 ending 23rd December 2000), the adequate stool specimen collection rate was 83% that met the target of > 80%. Some States in the south and west have started to implement mopping-up immunization campaigns as the end-stage strategy to eliminate the last remaining foci of transmission. While most of India appears to be well placed to eradicate polio by the end of 2000 or shortly thereafter, concerns remain about low coverage in parts of the densely populated northern States of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar where high intensity transmission persists. The Government of India has embarked upon an intensified strategy that relies on extra rounds of NIDs; house-to-house immunization to reach previously missed children; and aggressive mopping-up campaigns including pre-emptive mopping-up in the known reservoirs in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Extensive microplanning and supervision of the supplementary immunization activities is critical to achieve the target of polio eradication.

India took a giant step closer to eradicating polio through the strategy of National Immunization Days-PPI. In order to validate the reported coverage for 1999-2000, UNICEF had undertaken the CES for PPI on the request from GOI. The paper is a presentation of findings from 15 states, carrying the data as of Aug. 31, 2000. The modified cluster sampling has been used in this study. Data reveals that out of 15, 10 states have more than 95% coverage for at least 3 doses, MP and Gujarat at the top with 99% coverage. Despite this high coverage level, huge number of children is still unreached. Nearly 5 lakh children are left out in UP alone. Ironically, higher proportion of urban clusters have zero dose children. Apart from lack of awareness about date and need of additional doses, lack of positive attitude among parents are major cause of not getting any of the doses. Qualitative research pinpointed some more reasons for non-compliance--apprehension about side effect, knowledge and traditional barriers. According to the service providers and influencers, lack of proper training and monetary compensation are major demotivating factors.

All opportunities for immunisation in children should be utilised properly, as sustaining high levels of full immunisation coverage is essential to meet the goal of eradication of poliomyelitis as well as control the other vaccine-preventable diseases; yet many opportunities for immunisation are missed in all types of health facilities, even in teaching hospitals. Reducing such missed opportunities is the cheapest way to increase immunisation coverage. The present study discusses the problem of missed opportunities for immunisation in children in Paediatric Outpatient Department and Immunisation Clinic of R.G. Kar Medical and Hospital, Calcutta and the underlying factors of the problem. Prevalence of missed opportunities in Paediatric OPD and Immunisation clinic was 37.8% and 1.4% respectively. Most of the missed opportunities were attributed to health care providers and delivery system of health care of the studied hospital.

To Detect the risk of still birth in different maternal age, five year (1st January 1993 to 31st December 1997) record of Government Medical College, Nagpur were analysed. The rate of stillbirth was 2.5% (1138 stillbirth out of 46,443 deliveries) which was significantly associated with increasing maternal age (x2 = 182.3, df = 4, p < 0.001). Teenage pregnancy and elderly pregnancy were in significant risk as compared to 20-29 years age group for stillbirth (OR = 1.6, 95% C1 1.1-2.5; OR 2.6, 95% CI = 1.9-3.5 respectively).