Pulse Polio Immunisation (PPI) programme 2000-2001 would begin in West Bengal on September 24 to cover all children upto five years of age. Announcing this the State Health Minister Partha De told reporters that four doses would be given on September 24, November 05, December 10 and January 21 in the state as per instruction by the WHO.
The PPI 2000-2001 would also be held in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi. About 3.3 per cent children in West Bengal were yet to take any dose of PPI, De said adding that most of these left out section belonged to backward classes.
However, the minister said that similar programmes during last five years had reduced the number of children affected by this disease. The number of polio-affected children had gone down from 26 in 1998 to 21 in 1999 and to only three during the current year so far, the minister said.
“The disease has been eradicated from 190 countries so far through such a programme,” he added. Bureau Report