With the aim to eradicate filariasis, the Uttar Pradesh government is set to launch a massive immunisation campaign against the disease from November 25.
Under this campaign, children below the age of two years will be vaccinated in 19 districts of the state .
This was stated by Health and Family Welfare Minister Jai Pratap Singh while speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a photo exhibition organised by Global Health Strategies in Lucknow on Thursday.
The minister said that the Central-sponsored scheme would continue in a phased manner in 19 districts of Purvanchal in the next two years.
At present there are 1.25 lakh cases of filariasis in these 19 districts.
Singh also made it clear that the virus of Japanese encephalitis had been wiped out but incidence of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) was still continuing in Purvanchal.
“Before 2017, every year thousands of children used to die due to JE and AES. But this year, only four deaths have been reported so far due to AES,” the minister said.
Commenting on the spread of dengue in the state, the Health Minister said that there was no vaccine for dengue and cleanliness was the only way to prevent it.
“The government is taking preventive measures to check the disease but people too have to be aware about cleanliness in their areas to prevent the spread of dengue,” he added.
Singh said that despite fund crunch, UP still won two awards at the recently held ‘Innovation Festival’ in Gujarat.
“First, UP won the award for payment of wages to Asha Bahus and second, it won an award for generating health facilities,” he said.
Director General of Health, Dr Umakant, said breast feeding by mothers was a must in the first week post-delivery to prevent infant mortality. “Most infants die within a month of their birth if not breast-fed. Mother’s milk provides them an immunity cover,” he said.