Washington: The World Health Organization (WHO) will work with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. They will leverage strategies that helped India eradicate polio.
“Great news: @MoHFW_INDIA & @WHOSEARO initiated a systematic engagement of @WHO’s national polio surveillance network, and other field staff, for India’s #COVID19 response, tapping into the best practices & resources that helped win its war against polio”, the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted, referring to India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization Regional Office for South-East Asia.
Lauding Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Harsh Vardhan for his leadership and collaboration with WHO, Ghebreyesus said: “Through these joint efforts we can defeat the #coronavirus and save lives. Together!”
India had over 60% of global polio cases in 2009. However, by 2014, the country was officially declared polio-free.
