Paralytic poliomyelitis 1976-1988: report from a Sentinel Centre.

Kalawati Saran Children's Hospital, New Delhi, is the Sentinel Centre for poliomyelitis in the Northern region and 52-76% of cases of acute poliomyelitis from the Union Territory of Delhi are registered here. In this paper, data from this hospital for the last 13 years is presented. A detailed analysis of 1874 cases seen during the year 1987 is also presented. Inspite of large scale vaccination being carried out, the total number of cases have not shown a corresponding decline. The incidence of acute polio in Delhi has not declined over the years: it was 14.7/100,000 population in 1976 and 15.25 100,000 in 1988. There has been no change in the epidemiology of the disease over the years, except that the disease among the fully vaccinated children has increased from 1.3% in 1979 to 13.9% in 1988. Inspite of a decade of use of the oral polio vaccine there has been no significant reduction in the incidence of the disease, and urgent alternative strategies are needed.