BIHAR SEES A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN POLIO CASES IN 2007

UNCLAS KOLKATA 000037

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT PLS PASS TO USAID AND CDC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO KHIV SENV PGOV IN
SUBJECT: BIHAR SEES A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN POLIO CASES IN 2007

REF: 07 KOLKATA 223


1. (U) Summary: Compared to 2006, the state of Bihar saw a
significant rise in polio cases in 2007 of nearly 43 percent.
Because of the increase in the number of cases, UNICEF and the
Bihar Public Health Department, following Indian Expert Advisory
Group on Polio guidelines, have stepped-up their polio
vaccinations and information campaign efforts. On January 13,
the government launched a special anti-polio drive in the 70
village blocks that have reported the highest number of polio
cases. Bihar health department officials have told Post that
they believe the spread of polio will be controlled in 2008, but
the sharp rise in the number of cases from 2005-2007 indicates
that further, sustained attention is needed to fully eradicate
the polio virus in and around Bihar. End Summary.


2. (U) In 2007, Bihar recorded 398 polio cases out of a total
of 756 cases India-wide. In 2006, Bihar reported 61 cases of
polio out of a total of 676 in India, double the 2005 number.
Bihar and Uttar Pradesh represent 95 percent of India's 756
polio cases reported in 2007. Bihar's total of 396 is a
significant, approximately 43 percent increase from 2006
figures. Of the 398 cases in Bihar in 2007, 41 are of the
P1-type virus and 357 are P3-type cases. (Note: one child had
both the viruses P1 as well as P3 and is listed as both P1 and
P3. All 61 cases in Bihar in 2006 were P1. End Note.)


3. (U) The Bihar government, along with UNICEF, has decided to
conduct monthly polio vaccination rounds in 2008 (there were 11
rounds in 2007). On January 13 Bihar launched a special
anti-polio drive in the 70 blocks in Bihar which reported the
most polio cases. In 2007, 90 percent of the P1 cases were
found in these blocks. Devastating floods from an unusually
heavy monsoon season in 2007 displaced hundreds of thousands of
people across the state and the region. Bihar health officials
pointed to stagnant pools left behind by floodwaters and
contaminated wells as breeding grounds for disease and felt that
the flooding was a significant contributor to the 2007 rise in
polio cases. Another concern for Bihar is the state boundary
with Uttar Pradesh and the frequent inter-state movement among
populations in the border districts which helps spread the
virus. (Note: On January 30, Kolkata newspapers wrote that a
Bihari boy who had recently migrated to W. Bengal tested
positive for the P3 strain of the polio virus. End note.).


3. (U) UNICEF representatives told Post that the rise in new
polio cases were a stumbling block in their polio eradication
efforts. Most of the polio cases were detected in the districts
of Araria, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Siwan, East Champaran, Madhepura
and Sitamarhi (north of the Ganges river and the capital,
Patna). UNICEF has increased its awareness campaigns about
polio and is holding a number of seminars and workshops in
January. They are also working with Bihar health officials to
provide more vaccinators at the village-level. On January 6,
National Cadet Corps volunteers embarked on a week-long bicycle
expedition covering 600 kilometers covering ten districts,
including Vaishali, Nawada, Gaya and Nalanda. Over 20 million
children under five years were scheduled to receive oral polio
vaccines.


4. (U) Comment: Although polio eradication efforts continue
with some success in India, an impoverished, flood-prone state
like Bihar still faces difficulty in controlling the spread of
virus. Natural disasters like the 2007 flooding are common and
can undermine the achievements of prior years. With a
population of 80 million, the high rate of migration of Biharis
to and from Uttar Pradesh and other parts of India also makes
vaccination programs more difficult to implement. While UNICEF
and the Bihar government have made inroads and have shown great
commitment, the sharp rise in the number of cases from 2005-2007
indicates that further, sustained attention is needed to fully
eradicate the polio virus in and around Bihar.

JARDINE