Spurt in polio cases in UP results in 531 cases in 2006

New Delhi, Nov 24 (UNI) The spurt in polio cases in Uttar Pradesh this year with 443 new cases has resulted in the crippling disease spreading to other parts of the country also, the Government today admitted in Parliament.

In written replies in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Panabaka Lakshmi said that as many as 531 cases of polio have been detected in the country this year of which Uttar Pradesh leads with 443 polio cases followed by Bihar with 43 cases.

Haryana has reported eleven polio cases, Uttaranchal 13, Delhi five, Punjab 3 and remaining states have 13 cases.

Denying that there was spurt in polio cases in the country, Ms Lakshmi said that there was a decline in the number of polio cases from 225 in 2003 to 66 in 2005.

''However, there is a spurt of polio cases in western Uttar Pradesh in 2006, which has further spread not only to other parts of Uttar Pradesh but also to states like Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra,'' she said.

According to the Minister, the increase in the polio cases in 2006 was due to a large percentage of children missed during polio immunization campaigns conducted in the latter part of 2005 and early 2006 due to various reasons including poor health infrastructure, thickly populated areas with poor sanitation, under/ malnurishment of children and resistance of some households for acceptance of vaccine programmes.

''It has also been reported that due to interference of other viruses in the gut of children, the vaccination was not effective in some children even after repeated dosages,'' she said.

She said the Epidemiological situation of polio was reviewed by India Expert Advisory Group in May this year and it observed that ''while the Feb and April rounds have shown improvements in most districts, including Moradabad, uneven quality of Supplementary immunization Activities together with the factor favouring transmission of wild poliovirus in western UP (high population density, poor sanitation and high Non Polio Entero Virus rates etc) can allow transmission to continue.'' She said that to achieve early interruption of polio transmission the government has intensified Supplementary Immunization Activities in the high risk states and districts. Monovalent oral polio vaccine are being used in the high risk districts and states to enhance immunity so that the presently circulating P1 virus can be interrupted.

A special drive to vaccinate newborns within 72 hours of birth has been initiated in selected high risk blocks of Moradabad district. Information, Education and Communication and Social Mobilisation activities have been intensified by involving local influencers, community and religious leaders to increase community participation and acceptance of polio vaccine, she said.

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