Increase In Polio Cases

This press release was issued in November 2006 by Smt. Panabaka Lakshmi, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Government of India. The release indicates that there was an increase in the number of polio cases in 2005 from 66 to 531 cases in 2006. According to the release, most of the new polio cases started in Uttar Pradesh and spread to other nearby states.

The India Expert Advisory Group (IEAG) reviewed the polio situation in May 2006 and observed that the transmission of the polio virus was attributable to the uneven quality of supplementary immunisation activities (SIAs) together with the high population density, poor sanitation and high non-polio enterovirus (NPEV) rates in western Uttar Pradesh.

According to the release, the government said that it would take the following measures to ensure that all eligible children were covered by Pulse Polio Immunisation campaigns:

• Intensify information education and communication (IEC) and social mobilisation activities by involving community and religious leaders to improve community participation and acceptance of polio vaccine by all children below 5 years of age.
• Establish transit booths at major railway stations, bus stops, market places and on moving trains to cover transiting children.
• Carry out house-to-house activities to cover the children missed during the first visit.
• Utilise the services of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) and Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to mobilise the missed children of the village and vaccinate them on monthly health day.