The United Nations and the World Health Organisation have lauded India for remaining polio free for a whole year.

Talking to All India Radio, Chief of the Polio Programme of UNICEF in India, Lieven Desomer attributed the success to the government's sustained efforts and added that routine immunization needs to continue for India to be declared polio free.

In a statement, WHO Director General Margaret Chan termed it as the greatest public health achievement of the country.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad however cautioned that there is still no room for complacency and all efforts need to be made to ensure complete eradication of polio from the country.

AIR correspondent reports that according to WHO norms a country can be declared totally polio free if there is no polio cases reported for three continuous years.