WHO declares India as Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus free

The World Health Organization (WHO) on 14 July 2016 declared India as Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus free. In this regard, WHO presented certificates to the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda. Previously in May 2016, WHO certified India yaws-free after a team of experts verified interruption of disease transmission in the country. India is the first country under the 2012 WHO neglected tropical

diseases (NTD) roadmap to eliminate yaws. Yaws is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the skin, bones and cartilages.

Comment

The Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) has been the result of India's focused approach on making maternal and newborn care accessible to all. Reducing maternal and neonatal tetanus to less than one case per 1 000 live births in all 675 districts has helped improve access to immunization, antenatal care services and skilled birth attendance in the most vulnerable populations. Both yaws and maternal and neonatal tetanus eliminations were achieved using the existing health system and health workforce.