Govt concerned over spurt of polio cases in 2006

New Delhi, Jul 20 (UNI) Despite tremendous efforts to eradicate polio, India has witnessed a spurt in polio cases with over 80 new incidents being reported during the current year.

The government, which is spending thousands of crores to eradicate the disease by the end of 2006, is concerned with the increase in the incidences of the crippling disease in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, health minister sources said.

India, which launched a high-profile campaign to eradicate the polio virus from India since 1995-96, had reported 66 polio cases last year. The government had hoped to achieve the target of eradicating the disease by the end of this year but instead the number of cases have increased, the sources added.

Most of the fresh incidents of polio have been mostly reported from Moradabad, Badauin, Rampur and Bareilly region of Uttar Pradesh and Purnea and adjoining districts of Bihar, according to health ministry sources.

These are the same areas which created hurdles in the eradication of smallpox from the country, according to the World Health Organisation.

The health ministry has taken up the issue with both the states and asked them to intensify their efforts of pulse polio immunisation in these region and plug any existing loopholes.

Uttar Pradesh government has informed the centre that a weekly and monthly monitoring of the polio cases is being done in the state.

In spite of extensive coverage during National Immunisation Days (NIDs), the slippage of children below the age of five years from even the nationwide Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) Programme which had celebrity endorsement, political patronage and multi-media reach, has forced the health authorities to plug the loopholes.

The Pulse Polio Programme, which is being supported from various sectors of government, NGOs, UNICEF, WHO and civil society, is now taking the help of religious leaders to reach children from all segments of society, even in the remote areas.

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