Interesting stuff, thanks for posting it. I’m sure this is what’s informing what I heard. True or not it’s yet another reminder that politicians need to be informed by data and not the other way around.
> “Most experts will tell you the cases of NPAFP have increased because of better surveillance. This is bunkum,” said Puliyel. “As per global benchmarks, as polio incidence comes down, the rate of NPAFP should also reduce. Instead, AFP cases have been increasing steadily.”
So does that mean the polio numbers are wrong? Doctors are not diagnosing polio as polio? That would be really concerning.
Also, being certified "polio-free" doesn't mean we stop vaccinating. Just that we switch to a less harmful version of the vaccine.
After all, with the facts at hand, polio cases have come down to zero in India. Similar ailments have seen a rise in reports. Why this is happening is a mystery not solved in the article. One theory is that govt surveillance has improved. Another is that the government/doctors are faking the polio numbers, basically suppressing actual polio cases. I strongly lean towards the former as an explanation.
This also does not have any bearing on the polio-free status and the state of polio vaccination. Seems like standard sensationalist "journalism" to me.