India yaws free?

With no new case of yaws (a chronic bacterial infectious disease) reported in the past 10 years and since there no evidence of its transmission among children, India is likely to seek an eradication certification from the World Health Organisation (WHO). Yaws is a tropical infection of the skin, bones and joints — mostly infecting children in the between the ages of 6 to 15 in remote tribal areas. 

The disease was noticed in the 49 tribal districts of 10 States, particularly Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. It is transmitted primarily through skin contact with an infected person. If left untreated, multiple lesions appear all over the body, leading to chronic disfigurement and disability.  The final cases were reported in 2003. After three consecutive years when no case was registered, India declared elimination of yaws in 2006. Upto 2011, no case has been reported and careful serological surveys have revealed no evidence of transmission of yaws, said a senior official from the Union Health Ministry.

Now the Government plans to approach the world health agency to eradication certificate. The move has received boost following positive reports from the two independent teams of experts who last year, in two phases, visited 16 districts of all 10 states covered under the Yaws Eradication Programme launched in 1996-97, the official said.

“Each team comprised an independent expert, a representative from the WHO country office, an officer from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), a state/district representative and a dermatologist from the district. 

“The teams verified cases if any and reviewed results from sero-surveys carried out at the field level. The teams recommended that as no new case had been detected in the past 10 years despite continuous active search and monthly reporting from health facilities, review meetings, independent appraisals and no sero-positivity in 1- to 5-year-old kids, the country should request for an eradication certification from the WHO,” he added.

The teams also recommended that sero-surveys be discontinued but suggested awareness campaigns until the certification process is done. In India, the disease is mostly known by the name of the tribes affected most in any region. For example, the disease is called ‘Madia Roga’ and ‘Gondi Roga’ in Bastar area of Chhattisgarh and Sironcha area of Maharashtra respectively and ‘Koya rogam’ in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.