Bihar is new polio alarm, UP numbers dip

Bihar, on the other hand, has suddenly forced itself on the polio map. It recorded 41 cases in 2004, more than double the number of cases reported in 2003 which stood at 18.

Worse still, the reason is not that people from the state are against giving polio drops to their children, but simply that these drops have not reached them. Most of the cases have been reported by the majority community.

‘‘Comparing populations, the numbers are very high in Bihar. Besides the cases in UP are concentrated in a particular area that is western UP. In Bihar, the cases are scattered all over with Patna, Khagaria, Madhepura and Muzaffarpur being the worst affected,’’ said a senior official.

Experts now fear that a virus could be circulating across the entire state and containing it might become a problem.

This concern was even voiced at the international polio meet in Geneva in January this year. ‘‘Trends suggest that Bihar might be the last region in the world to eradicate polio,’’ the official added.

The state has already reported two cases in 2005. One case was reported from Madhepura in January and the second from Muzaffarpur in the first week of March.

‘‘The problem is peculiar and needs redressal as it is not about the mindset of a particular community. In UP, there were instances when the minority community was simply not willing to administer polio drops to their children. In Bihar, it is clearly a case of non-performance by the government. They have just not reached the children,’’ said the senior Health ministry official.

The Health ministry has called for a high-level meeting in Patna on March 19 to rouse the state administration. Health Secretary P K Hota and representatives from UNICEF and WHO are expected to list out their concerns before state government officials.