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| Polio campaign targets about 135 mn children | | |
NEW DELHI, NOV 10
Amidst sharp increase in polio cases in the country this year, around 135 million children in 15 affected states will be vaccinated on November 12.
"In the pulse polio round of November 12, we are focussing specially on the worst-affecetd states. Initially, we were planning to do the campaign in only Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. But when other states also started reporting polio cases, we extended it to these areas too," an official of the National Polio Programme, said.
A total of 490 polio cases have surfaced in the country since January this year, with the maximum number of cases being reported from Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh has reported the maximum number of polio cases, with 413 children being affected with the virus. It is followed by Bihar where 39 cases have surfaced.
"This round is very important for us and we will be covering 135 million children. For every 250 children, we form one booth and which is manned by at least three health workers," the official said.
He said all efforts are on to make it a success. "If the quality of this round is good, we will be able to check polio transmission to other state," he added.
About 87 districts in the country are affected, he said. Last year, 66 polio cases were reported in the country.
Last time, polio had come back to haunt us in 2002 when 1600 children were reported to have been struck with the disease, the official said.
The November 12 pulse polio drive in the worst-affected polio states will cover 82 per cent of the country.
The round will be in UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Tripura, West Bengal, Assam, Uttaranchal, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra will be covered.
Four districts of Himachal Pradesh and 11 districts of Karnataka will also be part of the immunisation programme.
India spends Rs 93 crore in each round. The 2006-7 annual budget to fight polio is Rs 1,039 crore.
"Polio comes in a cycle. It comes back with a vengeance after another four or five years if the virus is not completely eliminated. Also, ten to 12 per cent of children are left out of the polio vaccination programme each year, which when totalled becomes a huge chunk," the officer said.
"District magistrates have already taken up awareness drive in the affected areas," he said.
"Polio virus is active from June to September, while October is the peak time. By November there is a downward trend," he said.
The official said even children who have taken 12 polio drops are being detected with the viral paralytic disease because of assisting factors like malnourishment, diarrhoea and poor sanitation condition.
"Due to these factors, the child is not able to retain the vaccine. Also, there is no authentic data which confirms the dose the child has taken," he said.
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