Experts urge civil society to help in polio eradication

Patna, Apr 26 (UNI) Leading paediatricians and influential community leaders from across the state today showed solidarity and dedication towards eradication of polio in Bihar and urged the civil society in the state for their support.

Deliberating on the issue at a meeting held under the aegis of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) here, the experts spoke on incidents of the Type-1 poliovirus, the most deadly among the three types of polioviruses, and noted that it has gone down in the entire country.

There has been no case of this poliovirus in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh during the last 18 months, while there has only been one such case in Bihar in 2008, experts said.

The experts were also confident that in the next few months, the incidents of Type-3 poliovirus will also go down in Bihar as the virus is of weak composition and can easily be stamped out.

They urged the civil society to come forward during the most crucial phase of the polio eradication programmes and said that they should come together to ''clinch victory against the crippling disease and ensure a happy childhood for the children of the country''.

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