No polio case in UP since April ’10: Top health official

LUCKNOW: No polio case has been reported in UP Since April last year, said principal secretary health and family welfare Sanjay Agarwal while inaugurating a pulse polio booth at Bal Avum Mahila Chikitsalaya , Aliganj, on Sunday. He also administered polio drops to children and urged health officials to strive for the eradication of polio.
The five-day countrywide polio drive began on Sunday.UP and Bihar were the two endemic zones for polio virus in the country. As per data from the national polio surveillance project, the last polio case was reported in UP on April 21, 2010. No polio case has been reported in Bihar since September 1, 2010. In 2011, only one polio case has come to light in the country. It was reported on January 13 this year in West Bengal.
Chief medical officer, Lucknow, Dr Ashok Mishra said about two lakh children were administered polio drops on the booth day. About eight lakh children will be covered during the drive. CMO said 1,854 house to house teams will administer drops to children.
At the state level, about 3.81 crore children will be given drops during the campaign . The health department has notified 66 blocks in 19 districts as “most sensitive” . A rapid response team has been constituted in every district for keeping a tab on the campaign. The onus for making the pulse polio campaign a success rests on more than one lakh booth teams and 61,874 house to house teams.