Polio cases declining in Bihar, says WHO

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"Special strategies are being implemented to finish polio at the earliest in Bihar," WHO representative Hemant Shukla said at a press conference here, adding that the new bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) and a focus on the remaining polio endemic high risk blocks are expected to boost eradication efforts this year.

According to WHO, Bihar reported 117 cases in 2009 as compared to 233 in 2008 and 503 cases in 2007.

"No case of the most dangerous polio virus type 1 has been found since October last year in Bihar," Shukla said.

In a bid to control the disease in the state, the central government January introduced bOPV in January in Bihar - the first use of the vaccine in India.

"The bOVP protects against both type 1 and type 3 polio virus. It will rapidly boost immunity of the children against type 3 polio while sustaining high levels of immunity against type 1 polio virus which has been prioritised for eradication due to its potential to cause huge outbreaks," Shukla said.

He said as many as 107 high risk blocks have been identified across and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, with the latter having 41. A special block plan is being rolled out, focusing on sustained intensification of operations and reducing the risk factors of polio transmission by strengthening routine immunisation services and basic water sanitation infrastructure improvements in these areas.

Referring to the flood prone Kosi region in the state, Shukla said that under the Kosi operational plan, the state government and partners in the polio programme will ensure that children in the hard to reach areas are protected against polio.

Bihar Health Secretary C.K. Mishra said more than 20 million children up to 5 years of age will be immunised by more than 117,000 polio workers during Feb 7-10. "They will be immunising children not only in houses but also the children who are travelling. Even the migratory families of brick kiln workers will be covered by special mobile teams," he said.

--IANS