Source: The Imphal Free Press
Imphal, December 13:
All preparation for the 1st phase Intensified Pulse Polio Immunization Programme by the State Family Welfare Department has been completed, according to director family welfare services, Manipur Dr S Rabei Singh.
Speaking at a press conference held this morning at Hotel Excellency, Imphal, he said about 3,30,829 children in the state will be given PPI at 3309 booths of various district on December 16 this month and January 20 next year.
The IPPI programme will be carried under 662 supervisors with 13235 vaccinators throughout the state.
He mentioned that the state family welfare department has been conducting the PPI programme under the supervision of Govt of India since 1995 and in 1999 intensified PPI campaign were also undertaken in high risk states in which house to house immunization Was added to the booth immunization and special measures have also been taken to immunize any missed children.
He remarked that on the other hand there has been a dramatic reduction in the incidence of polio in India ever since the introduction of the National Immunization Day (NIDs) and even greater reduction in transmission of wild poliovirus after the intensification.
Apart from this, he said a large part of the country are emerging as polio-free.
There has been a 77% reduction of positive polio cases nationwide from 1126 cases in 1999 to 265 in 2000, following almost 50% annual reductions in previous year.
As far as Manipur state is concerned, he said, since 1995 there has been no cases of polio in the state and the state family welfare department is targeting to make Manipur state a polio free state by 2002, the state will get polio free certificate from the government of India by 2005 he added.
Meanwhile, the commissioner, family welfare department, Manipur who also attended the press conference observed that, for the successful implementation of PPI programme in the state the World Health Organization has sanctioned a sum of Rs 7,55,600 for training the supervisors and vaccinators, for every district, and a total amount of Rs 7,61,700 has been sanctioned by the govt of India for transportation and stationing of supervisors and vaccinators and an additional amount of Rs 24,53,283 was also sanctioned for PPI campaign and other awareness programmes.
He said, almost the whole amount sanctioned for the PPI programmes has been distributed to the concern district units for successfully holding the PPI programme in the state.