Coke adds fuzz to polio drive

NEW DELHI, SEPT 22: The Government has adopted a unique approach in its polio drive to begin from September 24. A novel feature is the par...

NEW DELHI, SEPT 22: The Government has adopted a unique approach in its polio drive to begin from September 24. A novel feature is the participation of Coke, a sponsor for this part of the programme which would donate the vehicles to transport polio drops. The other major difference in the drive is that it marks an intensified phase when immunisation would first be carried out in the high-risk states, covering Bihar, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The drive will then move on to the states under lesser risk.

According to officials in the Health ministry and Rotary International — the major sponsors — this reversal in the programme has been brought to retain the participants’ interest. Earlier, during all-India programmes, the workers were left with little enthusiasm to do the intensified rounds in the high-burden states later.

These intensified rounds will now precede the all-India rounds. So, in the first phase beginning on September 24, only the children in the four high-burden states will be immunised. Polio immunisation will then be carried out in the `middle-burden’ states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Orissa and Punjab. The drive will cover the entire country in December and January.

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About 108 cases have been reported from all over the country in the period from January to August 19 this year. The figure for last year was 2817. Rotary International officials say it is too early to celebrate the drop in figures since breeding season for the virus is only about to begin.

Till August 19, 36 cases were reported in Bihar, two cases in Delhi, 57 in Uttar Pradesh, and three in West Bengal.

Among the `middle-burden states’, no cases have been reported in Assam, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Orissa, and there have been two each in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Two to three cases were reported in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Lakshadweep.

Coke is contributing to the drive with a donation of five lakh posters and 260 vehicles in the four high-risk states. A statement by CEO Alex Von Behr says Coke’s partnership with Rotary International is intended to wipe out polio from India.

Polio cases in high-risk states till August 19

Delhi — 2
Bihar — 36
Uttar Pradesh — 57
West Bengal — 3

Total this year — 108 cases
Last year — 2817

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