Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed on Saturday that his state got effective results in controlling the spread of Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES), and described it as a "continuous process" for which sustained efforts would be made.
"Many districts in the state were affected by some vector-borne diseases such as encephalitis, dengue, kalaazar, malaria, chickungunya, etc. We started programme 'Dastak' in association with UNICEF to control encephalitis and other vector-borne diseases and we got effective results in controlling encephalitis and AES, but it is continuous programme and it will be started again from July 1," he said.
His remarks came at a time at least 1349 children died of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) in neighbouring Bihar.
In a big achievement for the Yogi Adityanath dispensation, UNICEF India has lauded his government for successfully immunising all children of the state against Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome.
'DASTAK' campaign is part of a comprehensive social and behaviour change communication strategy embraced by the state government to contain encephalitis.
As part of the campaign, the entire state machinery with help of UNICEF went door to door in 38 districts affected by JE and AES.
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"We are giving training to medical and para-medical staff to effectively control the vector-borne disease. I have asked them to prepare all hospitals to control the vector-borne diseases," he to reporters here.
After a meeting with officials of the health department at BRD Medical College, the chief minister said, "We have started a consolidated programme in 12 departments of the state focusing cleanliness and we are getting full support of the central government. I want to say that the participation of common people is very important. We are ready for vector-borne disease and encephalitis and could say with certainty that we will do better this year than what we did last year.