The Hindu : National : Health Ministers' meet to review polio situation

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 03, 2007
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Health Ministers' meet to review polio situation

Special Correspondent

60 cases reported so far this year

NEW DELHI: The Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry has convened a meeting of the State Health Ministers next week to review the polio situation and draw a plan to eradicate it. This has been done following 60 fresh cases of polio being reported so far this year.

The meeting, scheduled for June 6, will be chaired by Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who will discuss the situation with the Health Ministers of 10 high-risk States which have been reporting the cases for the past two years.

The Health Ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have been invited to the meeting. They will update the Ministry on the steps taken to check the spread of the virus and how the Centre could further help them in dealing with the situation.

Next to Nigeria

Of the 60 cases reported this year, 36 cases were in U.P., 15 in Bihar, three in Uttarakhand, two in Andhra Pradesh and one each in Haryana, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

Last year, 674 polio cases were reported, while in 2005, 66 cases were reported. The rising polio cases continue to show that India stands next only to Nigeria in the number of cases reported across the world this year till April 17.

A total of 111 polio cases were reported, of which 54 cases were from Nigeria and 31 from India.

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