62 UP districts polio-free

Lucknow, May 19 (UNI) Out of the 70 districts in Uttar Pradesh, 62 districts have become polio-free, the state government today claimed.

''A total of 17 fresh polio cases have been detected in the eight remaining districts,'' UP family welfare minister Ahmad Hasan said addressing a news conference here.

He asserted if people continued to support the pulse polio immunisation programme, entire UP would soon become free from polio scourge.

''Pulse polio programme is in final leg, therefore it is all the more necessary that no child is left out of it,'' he maintained.

Last year 29 polio cases had come to light compared to 17 this year. Moradabad division accounted for eight cases, followed by Bareilly division 5. Farrukhabad, Bulandshahr and Ferozabad districts accounted for 2, 1 and 1 polio cases respectively.

''West UP region is particularly sensitive with regards to the detection of fresh polio cases,'' Mr Hasan added.

In the next phase of pulse polio programme on May 21, children below the age of five yrs would be administered polio drops.

''If a new born is given polio dose within 72 hrs of birth, polio would never afflict the child. However, people wittingly desist from it,'' he claimed.

Meanwhile, the state government is sending seven principal secretaries to 'polio sensitive' districts in UP to make the pulse polio immunisation programme successful.

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