Health

Encephalitis claims 500, NCPCR demands report

Lucknow, Oct 9 (IBNS) : Situation in Uttar Pradesh is getting worse as nearly 500 children have died in the North Indian state in the past few months due to encephalitis, prompting the national child rights commission to demand a report on the scenario.

Gorakhpur area of Uttar Pradesh is reported to be the worst hit by the disease.

Reports said the disease has reached also Delhi and Chandigarh with cases reported from these areas.

Nearly 4500 people are affected this year in the disease, media reports said.

Reacting to the death of nearly 500 children due to encephalitis, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has urged for a detailed report on the matter from Uttar Pradesh government within fifteen days.

In a letter to the  The Chief Secretary of the government of Uttar Pradesh, the commission has stated that the matter has resulted to violations and deprivations of child rights.

The Commission has asked the state government to give a detailed report on the following matters- total number of cases of encephalitis reported in this year and in the previous year, number of deaths of children in  each year, existing mechanism for review of the health calamities in the state, the measures taken by the Department of Water and Sanitation to prevent encephalitis in Gorakhpur, the instructions and support given to the hospitals and Health Department to combat the epidemic.

The letter also asked the government to answer the question that whether the existing Public Health System (PHS) adequate enough to face the calamity and the measures taken to eradicate the disease.

Encephalitis is a water or mosquito borne viral disease, a rare condition that causes inflammation of the brain. According to World Health Organization (WHO) the symptoms of the disease are high fever, headache, sensitivity to light, stiff neck and back, vomiting, confusion and, in severe cases, seizures, paralysis and coma.

Moreover, Infants and elderly people are particularly at risk of severe illness, WHO mentions.

The disease has hit Uttar Pradesh quite often in the past years and has caused huge numbers of deaths

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