RESOURCE CRIPPLED BIHAR FIGHTS AGAINST POLIO

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000223

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT AND NEW DELHI PLS PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KHIV SENV PGOV IN
SUBJECT: RESOURCE CRIPPLED BIHAR FIGHTS AGAINST POLIO



1. (SBU) Summary: The state of Bihar continues to see an
increase in polio cases. As of the end of July 2007, 17 cases
have been reported, compared to 13 during the same period last
year. In 2006, Bihar reported 61 cases of polio out of a total
of 660 in India, which was double the number from the previous
year. Because of the rise in the number of cases, UNICEF and
the Bihar Public Health Department, following Indian Expert
Advisory Group on Polio guidelines, have increased their efforts
to provide polio vaccinations and information to residents.
Bihar government officials have tried to assure Post that this
year the spread of virus will be controlled, but continued
efforts and assistance will be necessary if the numbers are to
decrease. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Working with the Indian Expert Advisory Group on
Polio, UNICEF and the Bihar Public Health Department have
intensified their polio vaccination rounds to intervals of 4-6
weeks. Accredited Social Health Activists have been mobilized
by the state government and UNICEF is working closely with them
to provide more vaccinators at the village-level. UNICEF is
also directly supporting 10,805 National Cadet Corp cadets (up
from 3,000 cadets in 2006) for the same purpose in 27 districts
in the state. Several voluntary and philanthropic religious
organizations are also assisting. These efforts cover an
estimated 64 million people (approximately 77 percent of the
state's 82 million people) in 27 districts where UNICEF's
operates its "social mobilization" programs. Special, focused
intervention is being made in another 54 high-risk areas in
villages bordering Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.


3. (SBU) The head of UNICEF's Bihar program informed Post that
his office has expanded its "polio on wheels" program at transit
points in between Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (where 530 polio cases
had been reported in 2006). Indian Railways has also provided
support to the volunteers to cover major routes between Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh for vaccination during transit. Even so,
during the same period (through July 2006 and through July 2007)
in Bihar the number of polio cases reported has gone up from 13
to 17. UNICEF officials added that a major concern is reaching
the remote villages during the monsoon and flood season. Plans
are being drawn up to have volunteers travel by boat in some
areas to reach flooded villages. In addition, to reach minority
Muslim populations two Muslim NGOs, Imarat Shariah and Silsila,
have been enlisted to spread the message about polio
vaccinations. UNICEF has also appealed to Muslim leaders and
Imams to deliver these messages in mosques and during community
meetings.


4. (SBU) Comment: Although polio eradication efforts continue
with some success in India, impoverished, populous states like
Bihar still face difficulties in completely eliminating the
disease. A high-rate of migration to and from neighboring
states makes vaccination programs more difficult to implement,
as does annual flooding and poor infrastructure. While UNICEF
and the Bihar government have implemented strong campaigns
against polio, further international support and effort is
needed to fully eradicate the virus in the state.

JARDINE