States in quandary as JE plan lapses

The latest letter in the matter was sent by the Jharkhand government on March 14,asking about guidelines to prevent endemic-like situation.

Uttar Pradesh,in the last few years,has reported the maximum number of AES cases in the country.

In 2005,the Central government had decided to cover 109 districts across 18 states in a phased manner for Japanese Encephalitis eradication vaccination over the next five years. In past five years,about 15 new districts across India,including Bijnor in UP,have reported cases of JE or AES infection but have not yet been included for vaccination because the plan was to cover only the 109 districts identified in the beginning.

With just three months left for the peak disease season to start,experts have started expressing their concern over the absence of preventive planning in the new districts. From this year,JE vaccination would be taken up only as routine immunisation across districts which have been already covered in the past.

“It has been three months since the first plan got completed,but we do not have any strategy for the future. If the government takes time in deciding a new plan,then a gap in disease control would be created because the vaccine has to be imported from China and the demand has to be placed months in advance,’’ said Pritu Dhalaria,Director of Immunisation at PATH,which is an organisation assisting the the government of India in the implementation of JE campaigns.

He added,“The states are asking us about the future planning to include newly infected districts,but in absence of any fresh strategy we cannot do anything.”

A senior official in the Union Health Ministry,who confirmed that they had received letters from some of the states asking about the future plan,said,“Since no decision has been taken,the 109 districts covered in the 2005 plan will be taken up for routine immunisation.”

Sources in the ministry said a draft plan for next five years was prepared a few months back,but it is yet to be decided whether it should be taken up under the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme or by the immunisation wing of the ministry.

Also,there is a view that something needs to be done to check the states’ tendency to exaggerate the figures,source said.