The Estimated Health and Economic Benefits of Three Decades of Polio Elimination Efforts in India

The Question

CDDEP-contributed research published in Indian Pediatrics has examined the health and economic benefits of three decades of polio eradication efforts in India, estimating that India has averted 3.94 million paralytic cases of polio, 393,918 related deaths, and 1.48 billion disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs). As a result of eradication efforts, India has also gained US$1.71 trillion in economic productivity between 1982 and 2012, according to the study’s base case analysis.

Why it matters

According to lead author Arindam Nandi, “India has made great contributions toward the global eradication of polio and the results are clear. Quantifying the health and economic benefits of polio elimination in India can help researchers and policymakers understand the benefits of large-scale immunization programs and what could be gained if polio is eradicated from the remaining endemic countries.”