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Published Date: 2011-12-31 22:22:12
Subject: PRO/AH> Japanese encephalitis & other - India (42): (UP) comment
Archive Number: 20111231.3729

JAPANESE ENCEPHALITIS AND OTHER - INDIA (42): (UTTAR PRADESH) COMMENT
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Date: 29 Dec 2011
Source: Zee News [summ. and edited]
http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/exclusive/25-children-affec=ted-by-je-die_15072.html

The government on Thursday [29 Dec 2011] admitted that 25 percent of
children affected by Japanese encephalitis [virus with clinical
encephalitis] die while 40 per cent of those who survive become
mentally or physically handicapped, but maintained that effective
steps were being taken to tackle the disease.

Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad said during a
Calling Attention Motion in the Lok Sabha ["House of the People" is
the lower house of the Parliament of India] that Japanese encephalitis
[virus infection; JE] is a major public health challenge which has
affected children in Gorakhpur and Basti districts of Uttar Pradesh,
parts of Orissa and Chattisgarh.

"25 per cent of children affected by this disease die while 40 per
cent of those who survive become physically challenged or lose their
mental balance," Azad said.

Sharing data, Azad stated that 1133 deaths were reported in 2011
alone. Of these, 575 deaths were reported in Gorakhpur and Basti
divisions of UP, 250 in Orissa and 197 in Bihar. He maintained that
since 2006 vaccines have been introduced and these have brought down
the number of JE cases from 36 per cent [of total encephalitis cases?
- Mod. TY] to 6.4 per cent of the population.

A Group of Ministers (GOM) has been appointed by Prime Minister to
deal specifically with the issue and it has held 3 meetings to date,
Azad said.

Yogi Adityanath (BJP), who had moved the Calling Attention Motion,
expressed dissatisfaction with the Minister`s contention and said
although over one lakh [100 000] deaths have taken place in the last
33 years in just 7 districts of UP, the government has not done
anything substantial. It is still not clear if these deaths are caused
by JE [virus] or something else, he said.

Adityanath alleged that though the vaccine should be given thrice, the
government delivers it only once. "Government is only concentrating on
curing the affected instead of eradicating the disease," he said. He
also alleged that JE deaths were being caused also due to shortage of
medicines in government hospitals. "95-99 per cent of those children
who die are from families of dalits, poor and farmers," he said
[Dalits are a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchables.
They are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all
over South Asia, speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude
of religions.]

He demanded that the Centre for Excellence in JE which has been opened
in Lucknow should ideally be located in Gorakhpur as 75-80 per cent of
the cases are reported there.

Ramesh Bais (BJP) said basic needs like clean water and nutrition
should be provided and effective steps taken to deal with mosquitoes
[and water-born pathogens] which cause several diseases.

---
Communicated by:
Prabhjot Singh
drprabhjot@gmail.com

{ProMED thanks Prabhjot Singh for providing the above report. His own
comments are given below. As in previous reports of encephalitis in
UP state, the etiologies of many of these encephalitis cases has not
been established.

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map showing the location of Uttar Pradesh
state can be accessed at http://healthmap.org/r/01r4. - Mod. TY]

******
Date: Sat 31 Dec 2011
From: Prabhjot Singh <drprabhjot@gmail.com>

A special session in the Lok Sabha (lower house) was convened where
the problem of encephalitis was discussed. As per Government
clarification, the proportion of JE cases among the reported
encephalitis cases was only 6 per cent with the majority of the rest
of the cases being due to enteroviruses. This decrease in JE cases is
being attributed to vaccination campaigns in previous years. One
vaccination drive has been carried out this year [2011] in most
affected districts. Owing to poor sanitation and use of hand pumps
that do not go deep into the ground, continued transmission [of
enteroviruses] has been seen this year in almost all of eastern UP
districts. Almost 19 states of India are affected by this problem.

---
Communicated by:
Dr. Prabhjot Singh
Epidemiologist
PAHO-WHO
Honduras

[Providing infrastructure to provide safe, potable water and systems
for treatment of human wastes is expensive and requires public
education as well, but is necessary to prevent enterovirus
transmission. Treatment of hundreds of cases of encephalitis in
hospitals annually and support by their families of incapacitated
convalescent patients with neurological sequelae, often for life, is
also expensive. - Mod. TY]

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